Mustangs have little trouble with Ada-Borup

Leah Burgstahler and Leah Ashburn combine for 38 kills

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

ST. PAUL -- Buffalo Lake-Hector's Leah Ashburn and Leah Burgstahler supported each other on the attack as the Mustangs pounded Ada-Borup 25-14, 25-18 and 25-19 Thursday in the State Class A volleyball quarterfinal game.

Burgstahler and Leah Ashburn dominated the Mustangs (31-1) attacking with a combined total of 38 kills, aiding the Mustangs in advancing to the semifinal game against Climax/Fischer at 3 p.m. today at the Xcel Energy Center.

In the first game Burgstahler helped the Mustangs jump out to a 12-2 lead over the Cougars (23-5) with two hard ace hits, but then took a secondary role to Leah Ashburn. It wasn't until the second and third games when Burgstahler had the majority of her 20 kills.

"She was off a little ... she had some trouble getting going and was hitting the tape some," Susan Alstrom said. "Once she puts a couple away, she comes on strong."

Leah Ashburn made a huge kill attempt that was dug out by the Cougars, but Leah Ashburn came back and got the job done with a tip to end the volley, BLH up 20-11.

Throughout the match, BLH continually changed up its offense to keep Ada off balance.

"We talked about that in the huddle," Alstrom said. "You can't pound all the time. We tell them if there's a spot they can obviously can do a roll shot or a tip to."

The game ended 25-14 as Courtney Balzum hit it out for Ada's eighth error. Balzum led the Cougars with 12 kills.

In Game 2, BLH again jumped out to a 7-3 lead after back-to-back ace hits by Leah Ashburn, then a series in which Leah Ashburn had the serve receive and the kill.

Ada tied the game 9-9, then Burgstahler came alive. Burgstahler made four-of-five kills before Ada took a time-out with BLH up 15-10. It seemed in the second game, Ada had a mismatch on Burgstahler and couldn't get a block up on her successfully, allowing her and Leah Ashburn to place the ball where they wanted.

"All the hitters are really good at finding spots," Leah Ashburn said. "But our setter is also really smart and knows which hitter to go to at the right time."

Monica Ashburn had 36 set assists in the match Thursday, setting multiple times from her knees, and even making a few sliding across the floor on her knees.

After another time out, the Mustangs mixed up their hitting speed and used the quick set to put the Cougars away 25-18.

But accurate passing, something Alstrom knows is essential to win in the state tournament, was something that was lacking in parts of the second and third games against Ada.

"Our passing was off some of the time, but when it was on, we did really good," Leah Ashburn said. "When we are off, we stop communicating, but we picked ourselves up really easily."

In the third game, the Mustangs gave Ada its first lead of the night. Two of Ada's first four points were on BLH errors, and the two teams traded leads until Ada's Sarah Baker set up Monica Ashburn for one of her four kills in the match, giving BLH a 10-8 lead. With Dayna Rippentrop serving, Burgstahler put up two solid blocks for points, and Rippentrop had an ace serve. Burgstahler finished the game 25-19 with a kill down the line.

Rippentrop had 12 digs, as did Monica Ashburn; Kristen Raitz had 14, and Burgstahler had nine.

"We weren't passing really well," Alstrom said. "Hopefully they weren't looking toward the next game yet. It was just concentration -- they came back and did nice things after that."

The Mustangs play Climax/Fischer (24-4) in the semifinal game at 3 p.m. today at the Xcel Energy Center. BLH beat Climax/Fischer twice at the Park Center tournament in September 25-20, 25-19 and 25-23 and 25-15.

"It's hard to beat a team the third time," Alstrom said. "I know we are going to have to play defense."