Mount Pulaski takes down Riverton
in three sets
[August 29, 2025]
The Mount Pulaski volleyball team improved their record to
2-0 on the season with a three-set victory over the Riverton Hawks
Thursday night in Mount Pulaski.
After the Hawks took set one 25-22, the Hilltoppers fought back to
take set two 25-21. Mount Pulaski then took control in set three,
winning 25-17.
Set Two
Mount Pulaski started set two on a 3-0 run. Eventually the
Hilltoppers found themselves down by as much as four points, but
they came back to take a 12-11 lead. Once again that lead
disappeared and the Hilltoppers had to overcome a three-point
deficit. Mount Pulaski was able to jump in front finally after some
amazing volleys between the two teams, taking an 18-17 lead over the
Hawks. An ace from Audrey Cooper kept Mount Pulaski in the lead,
20-18. Riverton just refused to go away and they tied the set 20-20.
With a tip by Aly Murphy and an ace by Ella Martin, Mount Pulaski
was able to hold off the Hawks at the end, forcing a third set with
a 25-21 win.
Set Three
Mount Pulaski dominated set three. Once the Hilltoppers jumped in
front 3-2, they began to bury the Hawks. After an ace by Olivia
Smith, the lead was 6-2. After a kill by Ella Martin, the score was
8-2. A tip by Piper Tyson extended the lead to 11-2 and before the
Hawks would score again, Mount Pulaski was crushing them 13-2. Mount
Pulaski managed a double-digit lead for a short spell in set three,
but the Hawks did continue to put up a fight. A 17-13 score was as
close as Riverton got to the Hilltoppers. A kill by Smith stretched
the lead to 20-13 and the Hilltoppers were about to slam the door.
Another kill by Martin made the score 22-16 and this prompted the
student section to cheer even louder, “She’s a freshman!” Martin had
more in the tank. Her next kill increased the lead to 23-17 and
finally it was one more swing from the freshman that ended the game.
Martin’s kill across the court landed in and it was game over.
It was really a fantastic effort by the Hilltoppers all the way
around. These athletes showed resilience against a really scrappy
and talented Riverton team. Riverton actually beat Mount Pulaski in
two sets last year.
However, these Mount Pulaski girls are scrappy and talented in their
own right. It was just a great night of volleyball to witness,
especially this early in the season.
The future of this team looks very good.
Guiding the girls into the future is a new head coach with plenty of
volleyball experience to her name. There is also a new assistant
coach who is very familiar with the Mount Pulaski volleyball
program. Emma (Anderson) Aper is the new head coach and Jeri Kaye
(Turner) Solomon is the new assistant.
Coach Aper was really pleased with her Varsity team’s effort against
Riverton.
[to top of second column] |
Coach Emma Aper gives her team instructions during a timeout in the
third set versus Riverton. Photo by Teena Lowery
“I am just really proud of their teamwork,” said Aper. “We had help
on the bench and we had such great teamwork on the court. I feel
like we did that so well this game. I am so proud of them. They work
so hard everyday. I think it’s just really being able to get
everybody on the same page as far as that resilience because every
game is so different. There are so many different levels of play
with the teams that we play and the people that we have at practice.
I truly feel like everybody is so dedicated to getting better and
that’s all I can ask for as a coach. I feel so lucky. The girls have
such positive vibes. They’re gritty. They’re scrappy. They are never
going away.”
Leading the stats for Mount Pulaski were Olivia Smith and Ella
Martin, each with 6 kills.
Smith also had 12 digs.
Hitting the court repeatedly were Audrey Cooper and Elayna Marten.
Cooper led the Hilltoppers with 13 digs and Marten had 12 digs.
The Hawks were killing the ball and Mount Pulaski’s defense was
outstanding.
Aly Murphy was all over the court for Mount Pulaski, leading the
team with 19 assists and her overall game was also outstanding.
She’s quick and smart on the court, a great setter.
Riverton did win the JV game over Mount Pulaski 26-24 and 25-17.
Final notes:
The MPHS Hilltoppers student section deserves a special shoutout for
bringing the energy to the gymnasium all night long. It was a
valiant effort led by Chase, Juan, Carter, Keoni and Dean.
And finally, freshman Ella Martin gets a birthday shoutout. Happy
birthday, Ella! She was celebrating her 15th birthday. A three-set
thriller over Riverton is a nice way to remember this last birthday
before her driver’s license.
Mount Pulaski will travel to Dunlap on Saturday for a JV game at
noon and a Varsity game at 1:00 p.m.
[Teena Lowery] |
