Hartsburg-Emden and Mount Pulaski split on the volleyball court

[February 08, 2019] 

Hartsburg-Emden hosted Mount Pulaski on the volleyball court Tuesday night and the battle between the two county rivals lived up to its billing.

Seventh Grade

The two teams fought tooth and nail in the seventh grade contest with the Honeybears eventually coming out on top 24-26, 25-22 and 25-17.

In the first set between the two, Mount Pulaski was on top 20-9 at one point before the Stags mounted a comeback and tied the set 24-24. Hartem went on to take that set 26-24.

Sets two and three belonged to Mount Pulaski, 25-22 and 25-17.

Hartem's 8th grade volleyball squad boasts an 11-1 record on the season.

Eighth Grade

The Stags defeated Mount Pulaski 25-16 and 25-20 in the eighth grade contest.

In set one the two teams kept things close early and even knotted the score 12-12.

Chloee O'Donoghue put the Stags on top for good, 13-12, with a kill.

A kill by Cassie Crabtree extended the lead to 16-13. Hartem was on a roll at this point.

O'Donoghue served back-to-back aces to put the Stags up 21-13.

Down the stretch Lily Barry was on top of the ball and just pounding it into the court.

Hartem cruised to the 25-16 set one win behind four kills at the end by Barry.

Mount Pulaski takes a timeout during the 8th grade match versus Hartem.

Set two

Set two was tied early 3-3 but it didn't take long for Crabtree and Barry to get in the swing of things and push the Stags out to a 10-5 lead.

Alexis Wade had a phenomenal kill to make the score 10-7.

The two teams would tie the the score 12-12 after a hit by Barry touched the pole.

Mount Pulaski took a 13-12 lead on an ace serve by Grace Davis.

The two teams kept things tight and even tied the score 15-15. The Stags took over on their home court and in a matter of seconds the score was 19-15. Down the stretch it was Hartem getting the better swings and taking the set, 25-20.

After the contest Stags head coach Jennifer Hayes was pleased with her teams' efforts. The seventh grade team is young, with only two returning seventh graders and the rest are all new to the junior high court. That eighth grade team, however, is loaded with talent and experience and much-improved over last year.

"I thought my eighth grade really came in and played a very solid game," began Hayes. "I saw not only my main hitters do a really nice job but I also saw my secondary hitters do a really nice job. I thought we played great defense. I thought Violet Merz had a great game blocking and hitting and playing defense. I thought both setters really put the ball where it needed to be and played great defense in the back. I thought there really weren't many plays that we didn't make."

The Stags seventh grade record on the season is 8-3.

The Stags eighth grade record on the season is 11-1.

Hartem and Mount Pulaski split in volleyball action Tuesday night. MP took the 7th grade set. HE won the 8th grade set.

Seventh grade stats

Mount Pulaski

Chandler 5 kills 3 digs 1 ace
Charron 5 kills 8 digs 2 aces
Davis 13 kills 5 digs 1 ace 1 block
Tschantz 3 kills 5 digs 3 aces
Murphy 1 dig 1 ace
Bobell 26 assists 6 digs
Stone 1 block

Hartsburg-Emden

Sadie Williams 11 points
Addie Beekman 18 kills 2 blocks 11 digs
Cloee O'Donoghue 12 kills 3 blocks
Zoe Miller 16 assists
Celia Cross 12 assists

Eighth grade stats

Mount Pulaski

Wade 7 kills 1 assist 10 digs
Daigh 4 kills 14 assists 6 digs 1 ace
Davis 2 kills 5 digs 3 aces
Stewart 2 digs
Wilham 2 kills 1 assist
Rentmeister 5 kills 5 digs
Chandler 4 digs 1 ace

Hartsburg-Emden

Cloee O'Donoghue 11 points
Lily Barry 16 kills
Cassie Crabtree 8 kills 6 digs
Violet Merz 3 blocks
Abby Montgomery 12 assists
Addie Beekman 9 assists

[Teena Lowery]