RIB LAKE VOLLEYBALL - Sweep of Falcons keeps Redmen in North hunt; team 2-2 at Spencer

RIB LAKE VOLLEYBALL

A path to at least a share of the Marawood North volleyball title still exists for Rib Lake despite last week’s loss to Phillips, and the Redmen took the first step down that path Tuesday by taking down visiting Abbotsford in a 3-0 sweep.

The first set win didn’t come easily as Rib Lake had to steal it at the end 26-24 with a five-point run. But after that the Redmen played solidly and consistently, controlling games two and three.

Now 2-1 in the North, Rib Lake (22-9 overall) is tied for second place with Abbotsford and Phillips behind 3-0 Prentice. The biggest step toward earning a piece of the title awaits this coming Tuesday when Rib Lake visits Prentice in a big 7 p.m. matchup. The teams have split two best-of-three matches in invitationals this fall.

Before then, Rib Lake faces a good test tonight, Thursday, at Marawood South contender Edgar.

Tuesday’s first game with Abbotsford was tight throughout. The Falcons went up 3-0 and 4-1, but after that no lead was larger than two for a lengthy stretch. Coralee Glenzer’s ace put Rib Lake up 2019 and Weik set up Camryn Glenzer for a kill off a block for a 21-20 lead, but the Falcons went on a 4-0 spurt to hit set point at 24-21. The Redmen got a classic bump, set, kill from Coralee Glenzer, Madilyn Blomberg and Tessa Weik, two Abbotsford errors tied it, Megan Komarek got a block kill on an attempted roll by Falcon libero Caylee Clement and Weik’s left-handed tip kill won it for the Redmen.

Game two had a score of 9-8 when Rib Lake created some separation, going up 13-8 on an Avery Niemi ace and then 19-12 following a Komarek kill off an Addison Gumz assist, a Blomberg ace and another Komarek kill from Gumz. Weik set up a Coralee Glenzer kill at 22-13 and Madelyn Anderson’s attack from the left side won it at 25-14.

Two Reece Nelson kills briefly put Abbotsford ahead 5-3 in game three, but the Redmen took control after that. Weik had a kill, a tip and an assist on a Komarek kill that opened up a 20-13 lead. Tahlia Scheithauer’s dig, Weik’s assist and Komarek’s kill made it 21-14, Anderson followed with a kill and, on match point, Weik made a diving save near the net, getting the ball to Gumz who set up Blomberg for the kill at 25-18.

2-2 at Spencer

Rib Lake won its first and last matches and came home with a third-place finish at the five-team Spencer Invitational, the team’s last Saturday event until, hopefully, the WIAA tournament.

The Redmen earned 2-0 sweeps over Spencer and Manawa, lost 2-0 to tournament champion Weyauwega-Fremont and let one slip away in a 2-1 loss to rival Prentice, who went 3-1 and placed second for the day.

Opening against the host Rockets, Rib Lake got off to a sluggish start and trailed 22-17 after an ace from Alexa Stange. A Blomberg kill gave Rib Lake the serve back, Gumz fired off two good ones and the momentum quickly went to the Redmen, who finished with an 8-1 run to take the set 25-23.

A 9-1 run early in the second set, highlighted by a Scheithauer ace, two aces from Coralee Glenzer and blocks from Camryn Glenzer and Anderson put Rib Lake in control at 13-5 as the Redmen wrapped up the sweep 25-17.

Blomberg and Weik had five kills each and Camryn Glenzer and Anderson added four apiece in the win. Gumz had three aces. Scheithauer had 10 digs and Weik had six. Weik had 15 assists and Gumz had seven.

After a bye, the Redmen met Prentice and broke away from an 18-18 tie to take game one. The run started with two Blomberg kills and another by Weik. Anderson’s kill off a Prentice block capped the 25-22 win.

But Rib Lake dug itself a 13-5 hole in game two. A 4-0 run with two Niemi aces gave the Redmen brief hope, but they never recovered in a 25-14 loss. The Redmen jumped ahead 4-0 in game three behind two Gumz aces, but Prentice tied it at 6-6 and outside hitter Kali Heikkinen got rolling from there in the Bucs’ 15-7 win in the only three-set match of the tournament.

Weik had five kills for Rib Lake. Blomberg served three aces while Gumz and Niemi had two each. Scheithauer had 12 digs, while Coralee Glenzer had eight. Gumz had eight assists.

Against 14-2 Weyauwega-Fremont, Rib Lake dug out of a five-point hole and held a brief 19-18 lead in game one before two kills by McKenna Ferg on long rallies turned the tide and sent the Warhawks to a 25-20 win. Rib Lake trailed 12-4 in game two, rallied to take a 19-16 lead, capped by a Megan Komarek kill, but things fell apart from there in a 9-2 run that gave the Warhawks a 25-21 win.

Weik had six kills and Komarek had three in that match and Komarek had four total blocks, including three solos. Niemi had nine digs and Gumz had seven. Gumz also led the team with eight assists.

Manawa did not win a set in the tournament and Rib Lake made sure it stayed that way in the day’s final round, controlling the match 25-15, 25-17. Game two got tight at 11-11, but Rib Lake took the lead for good with a 6-0 run that ended with two Blomberg kills from the right side and one from Weik on the left side. The Wolves got within 19-17 but Weik’s push stopped their momentum. She added three aces and Komarek ended it with a middle tip.

Weik had six kills and Blomberg and Camryn Glenzer had four each in that win. Weik and Blomberg both had four aces. Scheithauer had 10 digs while Weik and Gumz had eight each. Gumz had 10 assists.