MVL thumps

Knights in first

real test of year

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- The Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers are a hitting team. And a team of many hitters.

And a team that's for real.

With sophomore outside hitter Kelsey Black contained, the Chargers found they can generate offense from other sources.

MVL got at least five kills from four different hitters to sweep the Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Knights 15-8, 15-13, 16-14 Tuesday night in Tomahawk Conference volleyball. Junior outside hitter Danielle Kramer led the Chargers attack with a match-high eight kills.

How the Chargers overwhelmed the Knights was simple.

"We were getting perfect sets," Kramer said. "The sets are just awesome. Everybody has been practicing really hard and our passing has been getting better, too. It all starts with the pass."

Nothing really got started for St. Mary's (6-3, 3-1 Tomahawk). The Knights were out of synch all match long.

"We didn't pass well," St. Mary's coach Becky Mathiowetz said. "And when we passed well, we didn't set well. We just didn't put everything together."

And they couldn't stop the attacks of MVL (8-1, 4-0). In a match that lasted barely one hour and 20 minutes, Angie Unke picked up six kills, and Leah Morgan and Black each had five kills.

Emily Buck led the Chargers with 22 sets assists.

"I was really impressed," MVL coach Ron Ohm said. "I think that first game was the best game we've ever had this season. We came out ready."

The Chargers jumped on the Knights with a 9-0 first-game lead with Kramer getting a pair of kills. MVL ran off six straight points on the serve of junior Joleen Torvick, getting kills from Unke, Kramer and Morgan.

The Knights got to within six at 13-7, taking advantage of four straight passing errors by the Chargers. But MVL closed out the Knights on an ace serve by Torvick.

The Knights rallied from a 12-7 deficit in the second game to tie it up at 13, but an ace to the backline by Morgan set up Black's rejection of Knight sophomore Raina Walter's attack for game point. The Chargers were again tested in the third game as St. Mary's scored six unanswered points to knot the game at 14 on another Charger passing error, but Unke finished the Knights with a kill to the St. Mary's middle after the teams traded sides out.

"It just didn't happen tonight," Mathiowetz said. "But I thought our bench did a wonderful job of filling in."

Ashley Meyer led the Knights with seven kills, but senior middle hitter Emily Schroepfer was held to just four kills. Amanda Helget led St. Mary's with eight set assists and Schroepfer had eight digs.

While Ohm was impressed with his offense, he still knows the Chargers' defense, which allowed St. Mary's to almost send the match to at least a fourth game, needs improvement.

"We're going to continue to work on what I perceive as a weakness," Ohm said. "I'm going to work with every member of our team. We've got to get it off the floor. It all starts with a pass."

But that's what the rest of the season is for.

"We're for real," Kramer said. "We work together so well. It's just really good chemistry."

St. Mary's will host McLeod West Thursday. MVL will face Cedar Mountain Thursday.