Colby defeats Indians, bounced by Columbus

The Hornets picked up three wins and three losses over the past week of play, picking up a conference win over Greenwood last Thursday but falling at home to Columbus on Tuesday night.

Columbus Catholic, 3-0

In a matchup between two teams boasting undefeated conference records, it was the Columbus Dons who walked away with that status still intact. Unable to keep pace with the visitors’ firepower, Colby fell in straight sets to the reigning Cloverbelt-East champs.

Columbus kept the Hornets off balance all evening, with their serves and offense often making it difficult for Colby to get into their offense. The visiting Dons took an early advantage in the first two sets, going up 7-1 and 10-1 and then using those leads to eventually win 25-11 and 25-9.

In the third game, it was Colby taking the early advantage, going up by a familiar 7-1 score. However, the Dons managed to battle back, tying the game at 9-9. Colby kept things close initially, but a 14-13 advantage for the visitors, four straight points scored by Columbus allowed them to break away for the 25-16 win.

The Colby club went 2-2 in their four matches played at the tournament held in Abbotsford this past Saturday. The team started out the day with a pair of victories, defeating Rosholt and Pembine/ Goodman in straight sets before dropping their third group stage match against Prescott. They then lost to the hosting Falcons in what essentially turned into the third place match.

In their first match of the day, Colby faced off against Rosholt in a battle of the Hornets. The green and gold came out on top, winning 25-21 in both sets. Lydia Decker led the team with seven kills and Savana Thomsen added four more. Daelyn Rieck and Tori Underwood both had two aces in the two set match and Rieck had 14 digs.

Colby then faced off against Pembine/ Goodman. The Hornets were able to control much of the match and while Pembine/ Goodman was able to make a small push in the first set, Colby was still able to win handily, 25-18 and 25-7. Colby found some success from the service line, coming away with 13 aces in just the two sets. Anna Kroll led the team with four aces and Underwood and Hannah Trush both had three each. Kylie Orth and Decker led the team in kills, recording five and four respectively.

Prescott turned out to be the Hornets’ biggest challenge on Saturday, with their overall team height proving difficult to compete with at times. The Cardinals took both sets, defeating Colby 25-14 and 25-15. Decker, Thomsen and Harrison Schmitt each had three kills and Thomsen led the team with five digs. Trush and Josie Higley each had an ace and Lilly Brzezinski was part of two blocks.

In the final match against Abbotsford, the Falcons once again came out on top. Colby took the first set 25-22, but for the second time this season, the neighboring Abby squad was able to complete the comeback over the Hornets, winning the final two sets 25-22 and 15-10. Greenwood, 3-0

The Hornets picked up their third conference win by sweeping the Greenwood Indians in straight sets on the road last Thursday, winning 25-16, 25-16 and 25-15.

While Greenwood opened the first set with a small 3-1 lead, the Hornets went on to score five straight points to push ahead. Colby then went on to outscore the Indians 7-3, with a kill from Daelyn Rieck pushing their lead out to 13-7.

The home team mounted a comeback, nearly tying the game at 13-12, but after a timeout from the Hornets, the visitors dominated the rest of the set. A back row kill from Tori Underwood started a streak of 10 unanswered points for Colby, a stretch that allowed them to take a comfortable 25-16 win.

A kill from Brynn Lieders ignited a 6-0 run early for the Hornets in set number two. A kill from Lydia Decker broke the 4-4 tie and an ace courtesy of Underwood on the next serve helped drive the Hornets away from Greenwood. Much like in the first set, the Indians made a comeback, but could not quite tie the game, getting as close as 10-9 before the Colby squad began to pull away again.

Another 6-0 stretch for the Hornets gave them a seven-point lead in the midgame and it was this advantage that Colby was able to ride to their second set victory. Decker put the game away for the Hornets, pushing the ball through the blockers fingertips for the final point.

A back and forth opening to the third set turned into an eventual rout for Colby. Nursing a small 12-11 advantage, a hit from Harrison Schmitt found the floor in the middle of the Greenwood defense and kicked off a 13-4 run that would allow the Hornets to take the final set with a 10-point cushion.

Much of the success Colby found during their runs came from the service line. The Hornets amassed 20 aces in just three sets, with Rieck leading the way with five, Underwood and Josie Higley adding four each, Hannah Trush putting up three and Dakota Hoeper and Savana Thomsen getting two apiece. Lieders, Decker and Rieck all had five kills in the match and Underwood led the defensive effort with 13 digs.