RL clips Falcons in second round
By Nathaniel Underwood
The fifth-seeded Abbotsford Falcons volleyball team saw their 2024 campaign come to a close after fourth-seeded Rib Lake dealt them a second round playoff exit last Thursday evening. In a rematch of a conference contest earlier in the season, the Redmen once again came out on top in a clash between Marawood-North squads, dealing the Falcons a 3-1 defeat.
The first time the two squads faced off, Rib Lake dealt the Falcons their only conference loss of the season. While the first set between the Marawood rivals was close, ending 2624, the Redmen were able to pull away for more significant leads in the next two sets, leading to a 3-0 sweep.
Abbotsford managed to take a set off the hosting Rib Lake squad in the rematch on Thursday but a slow start to the match put them behind early and another close 26-24 loss in the third set ultimately ended the Falcons’ postseason run.
The Redmen dominated the first set, winning 25-10, but Abbotsford managed to regroup in the second set. Aces from Faith
See ABBY vs. RIB LAKE/ Page 15
CENTER OF THE OFFENSE - Setter Faith Sperl creates an opportunity for her hitters against Rib Lake. The junior had 30 assists in the loss.
STAFF PHOTO/MATT FREY Abby vs. Rib Lake
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Sperl and Caylee Clement kept the Falcons in contention and then aces courtesy of Riley Podevels and Halie Vanluven helped Abbotsford pull away from their hosts late in the contest. The Falcons ultimately won the second set 25-18.
An extremely tight third set would be crucial to the final outcome of the match. The back-and-forth affair went right down to the wire and as the game entered its final stages, the Falcons found themselves with a slight advantage. Kills from Podevels, Marilyn Hammock, and Celia Schindler broke late ties in Abbotsford’s favor, but Rib Lake never let the Falcons build momentum off of those plays, answering in kind. In the end, it was the home team that took the first two-point advantage after the 25-point mark, the Redmen claiming the 26-24 victory. Rib Lake then took the final set 25-21, ending the Falcons’ season in the second round of the playoffs.
The Redmen had a slightly more efficient offense over the course of the match, scoring 45 kills on a .137 hitting percentage compared to Abbotsford’s 35 kills on a .071 hitting percentage.
Hammock had a solid outing from the middle hitter position, recording a team-high 11 kills on 28 attempts. Schindler added another nine kills and Podevels ended the game with seven. Podevels also led the team in aces with three and Sperl picked up two. Defensive specialist Margo Pogodzinski had 22 digs to lead the defense and Sperl added 30 more assists to her resume.
The Falcons finished the season 12-18 including a 1-1 record in the playoffs. They went 4-1 in conference play, earning themselves their first Marawood-North championship title since 2019.
PICKING APART THE DEFENSE - Marilyn Hammock picks up one of her team-high 11 kills against Rib Lake.
STAFF PHOTO/MATT FREY
