RIB LAKE VOLLEYBALL - Redmen fight off pesky Chequamegon for winning record in North

RIB LAKE VOLLEYBALL

The Rib Lake volleyball team wrapped up Marawood North competition for 2024 Tuesday with a 3-1 win over visiting Chequamegon that clinched the program’s first winning record in the North since 2017.

The championship chase in the North took a final twist Tuesday when the Abbotsford Falcons went up to Prentice and upset the Buccaneers 3-2 to claim a share of the title as both teams finished 41. After getting swept by Rib Lake on Sept. 24, Abbotsford knocked off Phillips and Prentice the past two Tuesdays to thrust itself to a surprise piece of the crown.

Rib Lake and Phillips tied for third at 32, while Athens finished 1-4 and Chequamegon, once again, ended up 0-5.

The Screaming Eagles, however, showed in Tuesday’s match they are an improved squad, putting together some solid offensive series and keeping several lengthy rallies alive with hustle and scrappiness on defense.

But, the Redmen’s multiple weapons were too much to handle as Rib Lake improved to 23-11 overall with two regular-season matches remaining.

Rib Lake never trailed in the first set. The Redmen scored the first four points. Chequamegon tied it at 4-4 and 5-5, but Megan Komarek started a big night for herself with a kill to break the last tie, Tessa Weik served two aces and the Redmen gradually pulled away from there. Komarek tapped a Chequamegon overpass for an easy point at 17-12. Kiana Dallmann’s diving save led to an Addison Gumz set of a Weik tip kill for a 19-13 lead. Komarek and Camryn Glenzer had kills late to help seal a 25-16 win in the opener.

Komarek had two aces in a six-point run that opened up a 13-6 lead for Rib Lake in set two. The lead hit double digits at 19-8 following a Madilyn Blomberg kill and Gumz ace. Lily Butler twice passed to Gumz for assists, one to Madelyn Anderson and one to Blomberg for a 21-11 lead. Komarek got a kill as did Camryn Glenzer, Blomberg served an ace and Glenzer added another kill at the end of a long rally to cap the 25-11 game-two victory.

Chequamegon didn’t quit, jumping ahead 7-2 early in game three. Anderson’s block kill was covered but the ball went right back to Anderson for a kill that tied the set at 10-10 and from there, neither team led by more than one until Angelina BeBeau’s block put the Eagles up 21-19. That lead went to 24-19 on a BeBeau kill and Chequamegon eventually won the set 25-20.

Rib Lake regrouped in the fourth set and dominated to end the match. Two Coralee Glenzer kills ended a spurt that made it 11-5. Anderson put down three kills and Gumz had an ace in another run that made it 20-8. Weik pounded a kill and Anderson had two aces to clinch it at 25-9.

Rib Lake hosts its final regular-season home match of 2024 tonight, Thursday, when the Lakeland Thunderbirds come in for a non-conference visit at 7 p.m. The final match of the season will be Tuesday at the Marawood Conference crossovers at Marathon. The first matches there start at 4 p.m. In the Marawood South, Stratford went 5-0, Newman Catholic and Marathon both went 3-2, Edgar and Auburndale both finished 2-3 and Wisconsin Rapids Assumption ended up 0-5.

WIAA Division 4 regional play starts on Tuesday, Oct. 22.