Falcons VB sweeps Gilman in straight sets

The Abbotsford Falcons bounced back from a fourth place finish at the Marshfi eld Invite with a win over the Gilman Pirates on Thursday, Sept. 9.

“The girls played really good volleyball,” Falcons head coach Lee Schreiber observed. “Once again, we had a balanced attack, giving us the opportunity to spread the ball around, increasing our teams confidence.”

Though the Falcons won in three sets, the scores remained close as the Pirates worked hard to defend their home court.

Abby took the first set, 25-13, but Gilman gave better resistance in the second and third sets, using their size up at net to keep things close.

“Gilman has a much larger starting lineup then we do. I was very impressed how we stood up to that challenge.”

The Falcons net game was on fire throughout the match, and four players recorded multiple kills. That firepower allowed Abbotsford to close out the final two sets by scores of 25-22 and 25-20.

Lydia Carlson struck 11 kills and had 11 digs. Olivia Hammel finished with ten kills and 20 digs. Sophomore Sydney Falteisek continued her offensive prowess, notching nine kills and three aces.

Haylee Soyk chipped in with five kills, and a team high seven aces. Bridgett Pogodzinski recorded 14 set assists and seven digs. Stephany Espino had 14 set assists and seven digs. Adriana Fuentes also had 14 digs.

Abbotsford’s home opener with Marwood North rival Chequamegon has been postponed. Their next match will be a cross-town clash with the Colby Hornets in Colby on Thursday.

That match with Colby should serve as a good tune-up for Saturday, with the Falcons travelling to Clintonville for another invitational. Abby has had success there in the past, winning the title in 2018 and 2019.

A third straight title would be nice, but for now, the Falcons aren’t getting to far ahead of themselves.

“Our game plan right now is to stay focused, and take one day at a time, while trying our best to stay healthy,” Schreiber says.