This story is sponsored by Forward Financial Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield Columbus Catholic volleyball team cemented itself as the team to beat the Cloverbelt Conference East Division after a pair of victories last week.
The Dons outlasted Spencer 3-1 and swept Colby 3-0 to knock off the other two previously unbeaten teams in conference play. A victory over Greenwood on Tuesday left Columbus Catholic as the team on top of the standings at 5-0.
As the last remaining unbeaten team, the Dons are in a great position to win the Cloverbelt East crown.
The Dons’ win at Spencer on Sept. 19 was extremely important as it snapped the Rockets’ 45-match conference win streak. It was Spencer’s first Cloverbelt East loss since Sept. 2011.
Columbus won 25-23, 22-25, 25-10, 25-19, behind strong play defensively. Spencer had numerous chances to earn points but was denied time and again by the Dons’ backrow. Libero Annie Baierl had 25 digs, and Maren Seefluth and Katie Hall each had 20 digs to lead the way for Columbus.
Brooke Neider had 40 assists, Kenzie Hansen had 16 kills, and Jessica Jakopin had 10 kills and six blocks for the Dons.
The strong start to the season, despite the loss of a number of graduated seniors that included Kendra Baierl, who had 1,000-plus kills in her career, is not a surprise to coach Kat Egle.
“I expected good things with these girls,” said Egle, a former Spencer assistant coach. “They played good defense last year, but they were overshadowed by the seniors and the offense. They got some playing time last year and were definitely ready to step it up. It took them a little while in the beginning of the season to realize that this is our team now. We don’t have any seniors, we’re young, we have juniors and sophomores, so this is our team now and this is what we have to do to make it happen.”
Neider has been steady throughout the season as the Dons’ setter, with Hansen, Jakopin, Seefluth and Kate Turchi contributing up front with kills and big-time blocks. Hall, Seefluth and Baierl have been stalwarts in the back row. All of those players, with the exception of sophomore Jakopin, are juniors.
“The girls are adjusting with our defense,” Egle said. “We have a smaller block (group) than we have in the past. They’re moving their feet, their digging well. We have five really strong hitters, so it just depends on who’s on. We don’t have a given go-to hitter, so it just depends on who’s on tonight, or sometimes they all are. It’s really fun to see that. We’re more versatile.”
Columbus finishes up its conference season next week with matches at home against Gilman on Oct. 3 and at Loyal on Oct. 5.