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HARTINGTON - To say the Hartington-Newcastle volleyball team has hit a tough spot would be a bit of an understatement.
After improving to 6-4 back on Sept. 10 with back-to-back wins over Randolph and Winnebago, the Lady Wildcats have dropped seven straight matches, the last two here at home.
The Lady Wildcats dropped a 25-22, 25-22, 17-25 and 25-21 decision to Bancroft-Rosalie last Thursday and 25-21, 25-16 and 25-18 Parents’ Night decision to Homer earlier in the week.
Against the Lady Panthers, Hartington-Newcastle was right in the match the entire evening and won the third set. Bancroft-Rosalie rallied in the fourth set and turned away the Lady Wildcats with the set-four win.
“We had a great night of swinging at the ball and defense,” HNS coach, Sarah Edwards said. “Serving errors put us in trouble and stopped the momentum swing in that fourth set.”
After dropping the first two sets by three points, the Lady Wildcats got busy winning the third by eight.
“We really gathered some momentum heading into the fourth set,” Edwards said. “But they came back and took control of the match eventually.”
Hartington-Newcatle got defensive in the match to keep it close.
Vayda Lippert had a double-double with 23 set-assists and 20 digs, Maddie Steffen also doubled up with 10 kills and 17 digs.
McKenzie Bruning made it three Lady Wildcats with a pair of doubles with 14 kills and 23 digs.
Abi Rice passed along 24 successful service receiving chances, Steffen had 15, Bruning 13 and Lippert recorded 10 during the contest.
Hazel Hochstein tipped up 11 set assists behind Lippert’s 23.
Earlier in the week, the Lady Wildcats dropped a match to the Homer Lady Knights, who improved to an impressive 14-3 on the season with the win.
Bruning just missed a double-double on the night, slamming down 14 kills, while going down for nine digs. She also passed along 17 quality passes on serve receive.
Hartington-Newcastle will head to a triangular in Wakefield on Oct. 1 with the Lady Trojans and Wausa, before heading to Plainview on Oct. 3 and to West Point-Beemer on Oct. 10.
k=Kills, a=Ace Serves, b=Blocks, d=Digs, s=Set Assists, r=Successful Passes.
Bancroft-Rosalie def. HNS 25-22, 25-22, 17-25, 25-21. HARTINGTON- NEWCASTLE: Abi Rice 19d, 24r; Justyce Sohl 1b; Lainey Morten 1d; Hazel Hochstein 2k, 9d, 11s; Ella Eickhoff 4k, 4a, 2b, 7d, 1s; Maddie Steffen 10k, 17d, 15r; Vayda Lippert 5k, 20d, 23s, 10r; Cohen Paden 2k, 3d, 2r; McKenzie Bruning 14k, 4a, 23d, 1s, 13r; Alejandra Reyes 5d, 3r; Katelyn Wubben 1d; Karissa Bruning 4k, 1a, 3d, 1s. Homer (14-3) def. HNS 25-21, 25-16, 25-18.
HARTINGTON-NEWCASTLE: Rice 13d, 1s, 14r; Hochstein 4s; E. Eickhoff 3k, 1a, 7s; Steffen 5k, 1a, 3d, 1s, 11r; Lippert 1a, 4d, 11s, 1r; Myrisa Lammers 1d, 1r; Paden 1k, 1a, 6d, 1r; M. Bruning 14k, 1a, 9d, 17r; Reyes 4r; K. Bruning 2k, 1a, 8r.
