Lake Holcombe can’t get past intense Bears team

By Ginna Young

Going in, Lake Holcombe volleyball fans knew it would be a hard-fought match with No. 2 seeded Clayton, especially since the Bears were on their home turf. The Chieftains made the trek as the No. 15 team in the WIAA opening round Regionals and there may have been some jitters as the first set commenced.

Clayton took the opening set with a 25-6 win. “The girls were a bit off in the first set, as the pace of the match was more intense than what our players have seen this season, but I was pleased to see that the team didn’t give up, and they played hard in the second and third sets,” said coach Beth Meddaugh. “There were some really nice things happening in those sets and our passing on serve receive was great.”

Lake Holcombe bounced back in the second set to make it a closer contest, but nonetheless, dropped the set, 25-11. With only one set left to keep their season alive, the Chieftains fought valiantly, but watched Clayton take a 25-12 victory.

Senior Karly Kirkman led with 4 kills for the Chieftains, while senior Hannah Wincek and sophomore Emmy Kirkman had 3 assists. Junior Ella Hartzell and E. Kirkman each came up with 9 digs, followed by K. Kirkman, with 8. Junior Abby Kane led on blocks for the night, with 3.

“This season has been a great learning experience for our players,” said Meddaugh. “They have learned to become very versatile, as people have had to step into many different roles and positions this season. This will really benefit the team in the 2023 season.”