Let’s All Go Five

On Thursday, September 27, three county volleyball teams went the distance, two in a rare way.  Rushford-Peterson, in its second meeting with D-E (this time of the conference variety), led 2-0 only for the Eagles to force a fifth game.  R-P took the rubber-set for a 3-2 win (25-10, 25-23, 28-30, 23-25, 15-8).  Lauren Lawston (18 kills, 14 digs), Peyton Hoiness (26 assists, 21 digs), Jaelyn Connaughty (19 assists, 13 digs, 3 aces), Kaleah Davis (10 kills), Kaitlyn Bieberdorf (10 kills), Kjersta Hinz (8 kills), Alyvia Eide (25 digs), and Lakyn Rasmussen (12 digs) all got in on the action.  After a 3-5 start, R-P has gone 9-4.  Nikki Schultz’s crew is now 5-3, 12-9.  The Trojans are already two wins ahead of last year (10-17).  In Rochester, Houston led Schaeffer Academy 2-0 only for the Lions to force a game five.  Houston took the last set for the 3-2 win (27-25, 25-21, 28-30, 19-25, 16-14).  Jenny Albrecht (19 kills, 10 digs), Ariel Scanlan (13 kills, 16 assists, 21 digs), Alyssa Rostad (9 kills, 12 digs), Casey Porter (25 assists, 12 digs), Gretchen Hill (16 digs), and Emma Geiwitz (6 kills) did work for the ‘Canes.  Brianna Meyer’s group (6-3, 9-6) is also two wins better than last year (7-14).  The up-two-nothing-win-three-two finishes were a rarity.  From 2015 to 2018, 37 matches involving FCJ covered teams went to five.  FCJ squads never led 2-0 and won 3-2.  Meanwhile, Lanesboro took the more normal path to a five-set win.  LeRoy-Ostrander took two of the first three sets only for the Burros to sneak out game four and take game five for their first SEC win (25-19, 16-25, 20-25, 26-24, 15-9).  Sophomore Sydney Taylor (26 kills, 8 digs, 3 aces) set a school record for kills and points-scored (37).  Peighton Prestemon had 25 digs.  Ella Cambern (33 assists, 12 digs), Lexie Johnson (10 kills), Payton Benson (10 digs, 24-25 serving, 5 aces), and Sophia Simes (9 digs, 5 aces) also helped the Burro cause.  Lanesboro is 1-8, 5-20.