Lyle/Pacelli volleyball player Kassie Baldner was able to quench her thirst with a celebratory large pop from Hardee’s.

Friday, October 08, 1999

Lyle/Pacelli volleyball player Kassie Baldner was able to quench her thirst with a celebratory large pop from Hardee’s. After a long victorious match against LeRoy-Ostrander in the Pacelli gym, the Lyle contingent of the team stopped off at Hardee’s before their bus ride home.

L/P beat L-O for the second time this season to clinch a tie for the West Division title in the Southeast Conference. The scores were 16-14, 9-15, 8-15, 15-13, 15-13. L/P scored its final two points on Baldner’s serve.

L/P is now a perfect 6-0 in the conference, 13-6 overall, with conference matches remaining against Grand Meadow and Fillmore Central. LeRoy is 5-2 in the conference, 15-8-1 overall, with a match against Southland remaining.

It was a close match throughout with big shifts in momentum throughout the fourth and fifth game. L/P went out to a 10-1 lead in game five. Staking them to that lead was senior Laura Nelson, who came in cold off the bench to score five straight service points.

"Laura was the unsung hero for us tonight," L/P co-coach Norm Blaser said. "She is such a nice girl. It was great that we found a spot to use her."

"Laura has always been a good server," L/P co-coach Carl Ellis said.

Down 10-1, L-O was not about to surrender. They had already played four five-game conference matches. The Cardinals chipped away at the lead closing to within two, 10-8. L/P then scored the next two points, but L-O scored the next four to tie it up at 12. The last three points of that string were scored on Lindsay Mensink’s serve, one ace. The teams then exchanged points to make it 13-13. L/P’s Joan Sheedy then got the Lions the serve with a big kill to set up Baldner for the serve. After getting a point on a LeRoy error, Baldner scored the ultimate point on a service ace.

"This match wasn’t fun until it was over," Blaser said.

"I thought we had it in the bag when we were up 10-1," L/P’s Melissa Ehret said. "We then had to work hard to win it."

It was hard work getting to that point. Game one was a nip and tuck battle with no one leading by more than three points. It was tied at 11 with L/P’s Amy Bickler serving. The Lions then scored three straight points on two ace blocks by sophomore Laura Nelson and an ace serve by Bickler. The game stayed that way through seven servers before the Cardinals scored two points on Annie Winfield’s serve. After four side outs, the visitors tied it up on a kill by Lindsay Mensink. L/P then scored the last two points of the game, the final one on another ace block by Nelson (soph.).

An 8-8 tie was built up in game two with both teams pretty much winning a point at a time before losing serve. L-O then scored seven of the last eight points of the contest with Nina Bucknell closing out the game with four straight service points. She finished the game off with an ace serve that was untouched. The previous three Cardinals points came via Mensink, two kills and an ace block.

Game three was almost the exact same story. The score was again tied at eight before LeRoy pulled away. Bucknell scored six straight service points this time with three ace serves to make it 14-8. L-O got its final point on Holly Johnson’s serve when a Baldner kill went long.

LeRoy then looked like they would give their coaches an early wedding present when they scored five straight points on Bucknell’s serve in game three. L-O head coach Amy Maixner will be a bride this Saturday. Her groom is assistant coach Dave Evans.

Nelson (soph.) then turned the tide with an ace block for a side out. Nelson then made a kill and got another block to score two points. Ehret and Baldner then alternated ace serves with kills to score four points to put L/P up 6-5. L/P scored two more points on Bickler’s serve to make it 8-5. L-O then scored five of the next six points to take the lead 10-9.

L/P took control by scoring four straight followed by three straight points by L-0 to tie the game at 13. Sheedy then smashed a couple of kills to turn the tide once again and L/P tied the match up two games apiece with a 15-13 win.

"Our service hurt us tonight, especially in game four," Maixner said. "At times we played unbelievably well and at times not so well."

Sheedy had a big night attacking with 21 kills. She also had four ace blocks. Nelson (soph.) had 11 kills, seven ace blocks and 21 digs. Baldner had 10 kills. Ehret had seven kills, and 24 digs. She was 29-of-30 serving with 19 service points including nine aces. Bickler had 30 set assists and 23 digs.

Bucknell and Mensink each pounded down a baker’s dozen kills. Bucknell was the service leader, of course, with 24 service points although none in the last game. Mensink also had 21 digs. Holly Johnson had 23 digs. Finally, Kelly Davis had 21 digs and 30 set assists.

LeRoy plays its last two regular season matches next week. Both are at home, Southland on Tuesday and Caledonia Thursday. L/P will be in Iowa this Saturday to take part in a tournament in Riceville.

Blooming Prairie wins

The Blossoms upped their impressive record to 18-3, 11-0 in the Gopher Conference by winning in Alden-Conger Thursday.

Seniors Ranelle Goette and Jana Peterson led the Blossoms’ attack – Goette with 19 kills, six blocks and 15 digs, and Peterson with 15 kills, six blocks and 20 digs.

Janelle Iacovino had seven blocks and Sara Anderson 47 set assists.