Wild week includes tough losses, big win
Monticello blockers Maddie Lambert (13) and Rileigh Lambert (14) block a Midland spike for the winning point during the Midland Tournament, which was actually held in Monticello, Sept. 2. (Photos by Pete Temple)
Maria Recker tips the ball over for Monticello against Midland Sept. 2.
Corinne Gadient of the Panthers makes a pass during the Sept. 5 home match against North Cedar.
Monticello’s Lauren Ries gets high fives from Panther middle school volleyball players during introductions Sept. 5, prior to the varsity match against North Cedar. The middle schoolers were recognized between matches.
After a week of harrowing, close matches, including a pair of heartbreaking losses, a three-set sweep at Durant was just what the Monticello High School volleyball team needed.
The Panthers secured a runner-up finish in the Midland Tournament Sept. 2, which was actually held in Monticello because of ongoing construction at Midland. Monticello won four of five matches, losing only to champion Springville, by two points in the third and deciding set.
Three days later, Monticello battled back from a two-sets-to-none disadvantage to tie a home match against North Cedar, but again, fell by two points in the fifth and deciding set.
Then came the trip to Durant Sept. 7, and a 25-21, 26-24, 25-21 win. All three sets were close, but the Panthers pulled them out.
“It is always great to get a win, especially after a long week,” Monticello coach Stacie Breitbach said. “Beating Durant was a great road win, especially after a tough loss two days prior. When the games were close at the end, we stayed aggressive and confident. I was super proud of how we played.”
Lauren Ries and Jordan Kuper shared the team lead in kills, with 12 apiece, as Maddie Lambert put up 24 assists and served 18-for-18. Kuper also had 10 blocks.
The Midland tournament was played as a round robin, with each of the six teams getting five matches. The Panthers won four in a row to start the tournament, each in two sets. They defeated Cascade 21-8, 21-7; topped Bellevue Marquette 21-11, 21-10; scored a 21-9, 21-8 win over Central City; and downed Midland 21-3, 21-15.
In the last match, which turned out to decide the title, the Panthers lost 9-21, won 23-21, and lost 13-15 in the final set.
“We played aggressive all day,” Breitbach said. “We did lots of little things correctly, and it made a big difference in our play. Against Springville, we started out too timid. We then started to hit and serve more aggressively, and got them off balance. In game three it was a battle. They were more aggressive offensively, and that was the difference.”
Individual highlights from the tournament included 10 kills for Ries against Cascade, 18 assists for Maddie Lambert against Marquette, 10-for-10 serving by Caitlyn Cruise against Central City, and two aces by Jaelynn Kraus against Midland.
Against Springville, Maddie Lambert had 24 assists. Ries had 11 kills, and Kuper had 10.
The North Cedar match Sept. 5 had dramatic shifts in momentum. The Panthers lost 24-26 and then 18-25 to fall behind by two sets. Monticello then won 25-13 after jumping to a 17-8 lead, and 25-16 after taking an early 12-3 advantage.
The fifth set was tied at 7, 9, 10, 11 and 13 before the Knights scored the last two points, and the Panthers fell 13-15.
“They played gutsy volleyball and put ourselves in a position to win,” the coach said. “We just came up short.”
Kuper had 25 kills and five blocks in the match. Ries had 17 kills and 16 digs. Maddie Lambert had 55 assists, 12 digs, and served 32-for-32. Savanah Kremer had 15 digs.
Sept. 2
Midland Tournament
(at Monticello)
Round robin play
Monticello 2, Cascade 0
MONTICELLO Kl Bl Dg Ac
Shalay Bronemann 1 0 0 0
Caitlyn Cruise 0 0 4 1
Corinne Gadient 0 1 0 0
Savanah Kremer 0 0 10 0
Jordan Kuper 6 1 1 0
Maddie Lambert 3 0 3 2
Rileigh Lambert 1 0 0 0
Macy McDonough 0 0 3 0
Lauren Ries 10 0 3 0
Jaelynn Kraus 0 0 0 0
Maria Recker 1 0 0 0
Totals 22 2 24 3
Assists – M. Lambert 15, McDonough 2,
Ries 1.
Serving leaders – M. Lambert 15-15,
Cruise 11-11.
Set scores
Monticello 21 21
Cascade 8 7
Monticello 2, Bel. Marquette 0
MONTICELLO Kl Bl Dg Ac
Shalay Bronemann 0 0 5 0
Caitlyn Cruise 0 0 0 3
Corinne Gadient 3 3 1 0
Savanah Kremer 0 0 3 1
Jordan Kuper 7 3 1 0
Maddie Lambert 2 0 1 0
Rileigh Lambert 3 0 0 0
Macy McDonough 0 0 0 0
Lauren Ries 4 0 2 0
Jaelynn Kraus 1 0 0 0
Maria Recker 1 0 0 0
Totals 21 6 13 4
Assists – M. Lambert 18, McDonough 1,
Ries 1.
Serving leaders – M. Lambert 11-12,
Cruise 12-14.
Set scores
Monticello 21 21
Bel. Marquette 11 10
Monticello 2, Central City 0
MONTICELLO Kl Bl Dg Ac
Shalay Bronemann 1 0 0 0
Caitlyn Cruise 0 0 1 2
Corinne Gadient 1 1 1 0
Savanah Kremer 0 0 4 0
Jordan Kuper 5 2 0 1
Maddie Lambert 2 0 1 0
Rileigh Lambert 2 0 0 0
Macy McDonough 0 0 0 0
Lauren Ries 10 0 1 2
Jaelynn Kraus 2 0 0 0
Maria Recker 0 0 0 0
Totals 23 3 8 5
Assists – M. Lambert 17, Kremer 1,
Kuper 1.
Serving leaders – Cruise 10-10,
M. Lambert 9-9, Kuper 7-7.
Set scores
Monticello 21 21
Central City 9 8
Monticello 2, Midland 0
MONTICELLO Kl Bl Dg Ac
Shalay Bronemann 3 1 1 0
Corinne Gadient 0 1 0 0
Jaelynn Kraus 4 0 0 2
Savanah Kremer 0 0 1 0
Jordan Kuper 3 1 1 0
Maddie Lambert 3 0 3 1
Rileigh Lambert 4 1 0 0
Macy McDonough 0 0 0 0
Lauren Ries 2 0 2 1
Caitlyn Cruise 0 0 0 0
Maria Recker 0 0 1 0
Totals 22 2 24 3
Assists – M. Lambert 11.
Serving leaders – M. Lambert 14-15.
Set scores
Monticello 21 21
Midland 3 15
Springville 2, Monticello 1
MONTICELLO Kl Bl Dg Ac
Shalay Bronemann 2 0 0 0
Caitlyn Cruise 0 0 2 0
Corinne Gadient 2 3 2 0
Savanah Kremer 0 0 5 0
Jordan Kuper 10 2 2 0
Maddie Lambert 2 0 5 0
Rileigh Lambert 1 1 0 0
Macy McDonough 0 0 2 0
Lauren Ries 11 0 4 0
Totals 28 6 21 0
Assists – M. Lambert 24, Kremer 2.
Serving leaders – Cruise 10-10,
M. Lambert 10-10.
Set scores
Monticello 9 23 13
Springville 21 21 15
Sept. 5
North Cedar 3, Monticello 2
MONTICELLO Kl Bl Dg Ac
Shalay Bronemann 7 1 0 0
Caitlyn Cruise 0 0 9 1
Corinne Gadient 3 2 2 0
Savanah Kremer 0 0 15 2
Jordan Kuper 25 5 4 2
Maddie Lambert 6 2 12 1
Rileigh Lambert 5 2 0 0
Macy McDonough 0 0 1 1
Lauren Ries 17 0 16 3
Jaelynn Kraus 0 0 4 0
Totals 63 12 63 10
Assists – M. Lambert 55, Ries 3, Kremer 2.
Serving leaders – M. Lambert 32-32,
Cruise 14-14, Kremer 14-15.
Set scores
Monticello 24 18 25 25 13
North Cedar 26 25 13 16 15
Monticello 3, Durant 0
MONTICELLO Kl Bl Dg Ac
Shalay Bronemann 4 2 1 0
Caitlyn Cruise 0 0 4 0
Corinne Gadient 0 1 0 0
Savanah Kremer 0 0 5 2
Jordan Kuper 12 10 7 3
Maddie Lambert 2 2 7 0
Rileigh Lambert 1 1 0 0
Macy McDonough 0 0 2 0
Lauren Ries 12 0 8 1
Jaelynn Kraus 0 0 4 0
Maria Recker 0 5 1 0
Totals 31 20 40 6
Assists – M. Lambert 24, Kremer 1,
Ries 1, Kraus 1, Recker 1.
Serving leaders – M. Lambert 18-18,
Cruise 14-15, Kuper 12-13.
Set scores
Monticello 21 21
Cascade 8 7
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