Comfrey stands up to Indians but is defeated

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- When Comfrey volleyball coach Bruce Stresemann looked at his roster for the 2004 volleyball season, he saw a lot of youth with a roster of only one senior on it.

With that in mind, he decided that it was going to take a little bit of time to get his team to where he wanted it to be.

On Tuesday, he saw his team take it's first steps to that final destination in a 25-11, 25-18, 25-20 loss to Sleepy Eye. But he also saw a team that improved with each game and he thinks the Rockets rebuilding path may be ahead of schedule.

"We think that Sleepy Eye is going to be one of the better teams we have in our subsection," Stresemann said. "We've got a few people coming back and a bunch of people who are new, but they're all underclassman, so we feel we're on the two-year plan. I think we're ahead of schedule. I really like the way our team played."

One of Sleepy Eye's weapons is that it has three big hitters who can deliver a kill at any time. Allie Renberg led the attack with 11 kills. Jessie Zuhlsdorf had seven kills, eight digs, and six service points, and Charlotte McMullen had nine kills, 12 digs, and eight service points.

"We got three good hitters in Charlotte McMullen, Zuhlsdorf, Renberg," Sleepy Eye coach Kris Bloedel said. "We draw the blockers to them and our outsiders are going to be able to get the points too."

In the first game, Zuhlsdorf delivered a pair of service aces to put her team up 11-4. Kelly Geiger gave the Indians another service ace to make it 19-8 and the Indians won 25-11.

The Rockets were a little more relaxed in the second game and kept it close most of the game. Renberg slapped a cross-court shot that gave the Indians an early 4-2 lead. Later, Renberg's kill and an service ace by Sarah Falk made it 15-11.

Zuhlsdorf's tip gave the Indians a 19-12 lead and they held on to win 25-18.

"I think it was just a matter of nerves and getting that first game under your belt," Stresemann said. "The second game we played better -- made a little less mistakes -- we got the mental part under control."

The Rockets built on the improved play in the second game and trailed by one until McMullen's tip put the Indians up 12-10. The Rockets took a 16-15 lead after a service error and they led 20-18 late before Bloedel called a time-out to settle her team down.

"I just said we needed to focus on getting a good pass set up, get the kill, and get the ball back in our hands," Bloedel said.

McMullen's kill tied the game at 20 and Courtney Hammerschmidt's service ace gave her team a 21-20 lead.

The Indians shut out the Rockets the rest of the way for the 25-20 win.

Comfrey (0-1) hosts Truman Thursday and Sleepy Eye (1-0) and Sleepy Eye is at McLeod West September 9.

Jeremy Behnke can be reached at jbehnke@nujournal.com