Jared Schmeltzer
Reporter
In Thursday’s conference match up against Marshfield, the Bluejays came out on top winning three straight sets.
Despite Merrill winning all three sets, Marshfield kept it close. Merrill took the first set by a score of 25-22, they then went on to win the second set 25-20 And the third set 27-25.
“We started off slow in all three sets,” comments head coach Kris Krug. “Our blocking was non-existent until about half way through the first set. Once we got our offense ticking, we came back from a 20-16 deficit to take the first set. We definitely have the tools to make it happen, but we can’t seem to get over the hump. I’m expecting more consistent hitting and blocking on Saturday or it will be a long day! On the flip side, Kelsie Belfiori served an impressive 24 serves with the team scoring 18 points off of those serves. Morgan Wardall contributed 14 kills and Megan Schroder had 8 kills.”
Merrill takes two in Valley Tournament
In the first leg of the Valley Conference Tournament, Merrill took two wins beating D.C. Everest and Stevens Point without losing a single set.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the way we played today,” Krug said. “We set a goal of going 2-0 today and managed to accomplish it in six straight sets.”
The Bluejays were able to handle Everest in three sets winning the first set 25-22, taking the second set 25-22 and winning the third set 25-16. Merrill cruised past Stevens Point in their second game winning in three sets. Merrill took the first set 25-18, won the second set 25-20 and went on to win the last set 25-20.
Morgan Wardall led the hitting with 29 kills with Megan Schroder right behind her with 17. Lindsey Casper, Madi Weix and Kelsie Belfiori all served 100% on the day. Coach Krug comments, “We were able to keep our level of intensity high for a good portion of both matches. The most impressive part of our day was the aggressive serving I saw from multiple players. It was a great feeling to see them perform the way that I knew they could play!”