Nicollet edges Indians: Raiders come from behind in Game Three to advance

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

ST. JAMES -- After splitting the first two games with Sleepy Eye, Nicollet looked like it was about to hand over the third game to the Indians and let them take a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Indians led 9-3, but the Raiders changed the momentum quickly and shut down Sleepy Eye to win the game 25-14.

Nicollet then captured the fourth game to win the Section 2A, South subsection playoff match 25-22, 18-25, 25-14, 25-21. The Raiders (14-11-3) play Sleepy Eye St. Mary's following the first game Thursday, which starts at 6 p.m. at Martin Luther College. The Knights defeated Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin earlier in the day at the St. James gym.

"Our front row stepped it up with the blocking, and our back row stepped it up with passing," Nicollet's Klare Swenson said.

Swenson led the Raiders with 13 kills. Abby Olmscheid had 11 kills.

Swenson said coach Judy Radke told the team to relax, and after that moment in the third game, the Raiders went on a 22-5 run to win and take a 2-1 lead.

"She told us to take a deep breath and let us know it's our game," Swenson said.

Abby Olmscheid had 14 digs and Molly Erdman had six digs for Nicollet. Becky Bernau had 10 set assists and Briana Bode had 11 set assists.

"We won most of the rallies," Nicollet coach Judy Radke said. "We felt that we were a better passing team."

Serving-wise for the Raiders, Kelly Zins went 15-of-16 with three aces, and Bode went 22-of-23 with three aces. Maribeth Vaske went 18-of-18 with one ace while freshman Lindsey Beckendorf had 11 blocks.

For the Indians, who end their season 14-10, Charlotte McMullen had 18 kills, 20 digs, four ace serves, 24 service points.

"We said before the match that we're not letting No. 1 [McMullen] beat us, so we keyed on her," Radke said.

Allie Renberg had 15 kills, 13 digs, 14 service points, and three ace serves and Jessie Zuhlsdorf had eight kills and 10 digs for Sleepy Eye.

Courtney Hammerschmidt had 34 set assists and 12 digs while Sam Widmer contributed 15 service points.

Game Four was tightly contested throughout, and Sleepy Eye took a 5-2 lead thanks to two ace serves by McMullen. The Raiders cut it to 5-4, but the Indians managed to keep it on their side of the net and went up 8-4.

Once again, Nicollet fought back and took a 10-9 lead on a Sleepy Eye net violation. The teams were tied at 15 until the Raiders took the lead for good on Olmscheid's tip.

Olmsheid's kill later put the Raiders up 19-17 and she had an ace serve to pad the Nicollet lead to 23-19.

Renberg's serve sailed long to end the match, and the Raiders moved on to the Section 2A South Subsection championship Thursday.

Jeremy Behnke can be reached at

jbehnke@nujournal.com