New Ulm High routs Saints

By BENJAMIN TOMCZAK

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- It was a night of achievement in New Ulm -- for New Ulm High as a team, and for one Eagle in particular.

With the score tied at 12 in the first game against St. James, Eagle outside hitter Allison Boddy did what she has done now for years, played defense, notching her eighth dig of the game. What was so spectacular about this dig was that it was the 1,000th of her career. Boddy totaled 25 on the night, giving her 1,017 as the Eagles defeated the Saints 15-13, 15-4, 15-5 in South Central Conference action Thursday night.

As a team the Eagles earned their first three-game sweep and won their fourth straight, improving to 2-0 in the SCC and 5-2 overall. St. James falls to 4-7 and 2-1 in the conference.

The Eagles and Saints battled in the first game as the Saints took an early 7-4 lead. The Saints were up 9-7 when New Ulm High mounted a comeback to take an 11-9 lead. As the Saints fought back to tie it at 12 the tension mounted in the gym as Boddy moved closer and closer to her 1,000th dig. Then it finally happened.

"I wanted to get it done with," Boddy said. "It was really loud and exciting in here. It felt good."

After Boddy got her 1,000th dig, the Eagles seemed to loosen up a bit, clinching the first game on a titanic kill from Tiffany Drill, New Ulm High's "gun on the outside," as Eagle coach Rebekah Otte likes to call her.

Another senior, Jodi Schmidt was also key in the first game, racking up a number of kills that resulted in sides out. Schmidt finished the night perfect from the service line with an ace and had eight kills.

"I'm glad we got it out of the way," Otte said, referring to Boddy's 1,000th dig. "We never got into our groove, but once we got it we started rolling."

And roll they did. The Eagles started out game two taking a 7-0 lead and never looked back. The Saints were unable to get any kind of momentum going after the hard-fought first game, a first game that included some close calls that could have gone St. James' way.

"That's what happens in sports," Saints coach Ron Aden commented. "You have to come out of it and we didn't."

The Saints worked hard as senior left-hitter Britt Rinne took the team on her shoulders. Rinne was solid in the back row with 17 digs and powerful up front with 11 kills. But the effort wasn't enough.

In the third game New Ulm High cruised to a 10-2 lead behind Boddy (seven kills), Schmidt and Steph Navara (eight kills, 10 digs).

Amanda Paa, a senior setter, had 29 set assists and a couple nifty backward misdirects.

The match ended as it should. Junior setter Laura Yager saw her first action with the Eagles leading 14-5 and got her only serve of the night. During the rally Boddy had her 25th dig and Navara clinched the win with her final kill.

Otte was pleased with the outcome. "The key to our wins is that we've kept our intensity going, our energy is high right now. It's just a matter of them (the Eagles) getting it into their heads to do what it takes, and they have so far."

The Eagles will host Redwood Valley Tuesday. St. James will host United South Central Thursday.