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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Any time the Marshfield volleyball team was seemingly in trouble during its match against Merrill it was able to turn to a strong serving game and a powerful offensive attack to turn the Bluejays away.
Marshfield earned a 3-0 sweep, improving to 2-0 in Wisconsin Valley Conference play. The Tigers won 25-20, 25-19, 25-16.
“We pride ourselves on our serving this year,” Marshfield coach Dawn Sadowska said. “I think we serve extremely well, extremely aggressive. I thought there was a time there where we were missing too many serves, but overall, our serving is really what helped us.
“I think our blocking is something we need to work on and we have four or five days to continue to work on it.”
Marshfield jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first set as Casey Dasler had three service aces.
Merrill fought back to take a 16-15 lead before the Tigers pulled away, a theme that would happen in each of the three sets.
Lauren Homolka had two kills, Dasler served another ace, and a kill by Abby Ongna ended the opening set with a kill and a 25-20 win for the Tigers.
Marshfield started out Game 2 on fire again as Homolka served eight-straight points and Ongna had three kills to build a 12-4 lead.
Merrill came to within six at 20-14 before Ongna and Homolka each had two kills to finish off a 25-19 victory.
Each team traded big runs early in the third set before play stabilized and Merrill took a 15-12 lead on a kill by Chloe McRae.
After a sideout, Grace Taylor had three aces in a 5-0 Marshfield run. Merrill earned a sideout on another McRae kill before Marshfield scored the final eight points to finish off the victory.
Again, it was Dasler at the helm serving, with Ongna and Homolka leading the front-line attack. Dasler finished with seven service aces.
Kailyn Kurth had 30 assists, Ongna finished with 12 kills and three blocks, Homolka had 11 kills, eight digs and five blocks to lead the Tigers.
“We were trying to get (Ongna) going a little more quickly and Kailyn (Kurth) was doing a great job of doing that,” Sadowska said. “There were times when there was no block there because we set the ball to her so quickly.”
Kurth, a junior, has taken over for three-year starter Reinya Balderson as setter and stepped right in for the all-conference player. Sadowska said she was not surprised at the early success.
“Kailyn has been awesome since she was a freshman,” Sadowska said. “She’s been ready for a long time. Her one-hand saves she makes at the net, because of her height, have been phenomenal.”
Marshfield will have a week off before another Wisconsin Valley Conference match at D.C. Everest next Thursday, Sept. 14.