Eagles volleyball season ends with a sting

The Eagles took on South Dakota rivals for their last two matches of the season but were shutout by both South Dakota School of Mines, Friday, and Black Hills State University, Saturday.

“We played well defensively, got some good block touches, got some really good defensive digs, extending some of the rallies,” Jennifer Stadler, head volleyball coach, said. “We had a lot of hitting errors this weekend. So, we were unable to capitalize on playing well defensively.”

The closest Chadron State was to taking a set over the weekend was their first set Friday against South Dakota Mines, 25-21. Amelia Berg, senior of Fort Collins, Colorado, had seven of her nine total kills in that set against the Hardrockers.

Saturday had a troubling start for the Eagles with the first two sets being taken by BHSU, 25-16 and 25-13.

In the last set its season, CSC started off with kills from Olivia Moten-Schell, sophomore of Billings, Montana, Audrey Bennett, freshman of Lenexa, Kansas, and Rylee Greiman, junior of Windsor, Colorado, along with attack errors from the Yellow Jackets putting the Eagles in the lead, 5-3.

Soon after, BHSU came back to tie at five points before taking the lead. Despite the lead shift, CSC kept the score close to even tie the score again at 11s following an attack error from Yellow Jacket Madison Hoopman, junior of Douglas, Wyoming.

“Overall, I think everyone did pretty good in the end of the season,” Bennett said. “Whether you played or not, it showed how much everyone cares for this team.”

The Yellow Jackets broke away from the Eagles with a kill by Mariah Robinson, redshirt sophomore of Buffalo, Wyoming, an Eagle attack error, a Black Hills ace and another kill from Robinson to move the score up to 19-13.

The Eagle broke up BHSU’s point rally with a kill by Greiman set up by Berg, as the end of the season drew closer with each point. Berg and Aiyana Fujiyama, freshman of Wahiawa, Hawaii, blocked an attack resulting in a Yellow Jacket error to score the last point for Eagles, still sitting behind 24-18.

The Eagles’ season came to an end with a kill from Hoopman, capping of the Eagles season with a loss to one of the teams they had beat in five sets at home.

Throughout both games, Bennett shifted from setter to a hitting position. She had five kills and 16 assists on Friday and 15 assists on Saturday.

Leading Saturday for the Eagles, Greiman had seven kills. She also tied in the lead with nine digs along with Aracely Hernandez, senior of Greeley, Colorado, playing her last game.

“It’s always hard to see seniors go, no matter when it is,” Jennifer Stadler, head volleyball coach, said. “I think it’s especially harder when we haven’t had the best season and then also not playing to the best of our abilities. All four of them have put a lot of heart, soul and hard work into the program. So, their work ethic and their leadership are definitely going to be missed.”

Berg, Hernandez, Alli Keisel, senior of Fleming, Colorado, and Kincaid Strain, senior of Elk River, Minnesota, finished their carriers with the Eagles, leaving the volleyball court for the last time.