Photo by Deb Finseth
Fillmore Central volleyball was in the midst of a very good season. The Falcons had 11 seniors. Included were All-TRC picks Maddie Krage and K.J. Corson. In a normal year, they would’ve been a force in the play-offs. Twenty-twenty isn’t a normal year. And then it just might’ve ended. The Falcons played what appears to be their last two matches of the year on November 10 and 12. The school is moving to distance learning on November 16 thru December 2. Their volleyball season looks to be over. They aren’t the only TRC school in such a situation. Nine of 11 league volleyball programs were purportedly down as of November 9, due to COVID and/or distance learning. The Falcons at least went out winning. They first beat a Caledonia squad that has had a down year, 3-1 (25-8, 15-25, 25-22, 25-14). Seniors Krage (16 kills) and Hadley Yoder (12 kills on .500 hitting) led the offense, with help from Alyssa Britton (6 kills) and Kammry Broadwater (5 kills). Yoder was also 28 of 30 serving with 7 aces. Lauren Mensink (34 assists, 17 digs) did the setting. The senior back-line of Corson (16 digs), Hope Sexton (11 digs), and Ashlyn Simon (10 digs) got the offense started with their passing. Marissa Topness was 13 of 13 serving with two aces. FC then entertained Triton, knowing full well it could be their last match. Travis Malley’s group swept the Cobras (25-23, 25-20, 25-18). In set one, they had two comebacks, down 15-9 to tie at 15-15, and down 20-16 to tie at 20-20. Seniors Yoder (12 kills on .455 hitting), Krage (12 kills), Corson (20 digs, 20-20 serving), Sexton (11 digs, 13-13 serving), Simon (13 digs, 11-11 serving), and Olyvia Willford (5 kills) led the way. Mensink (32 assists, 12 digs, 13-13 serving), Britton (5 kills), and Topness (11 digs) helped. FC was 71 of 73 serving as a team. It was the Falcons’ seventh straight win. With Caledonia down, Travis Malley’s group were a TRC title contender, though COVID (and the fact some teams didn’t play any or many games) annulled any chances at that feat (in its purity). If this is it, they finish at 7-1 in the TRC, 9-1 overall. Carlie Nagel-Hardy, Kennedy Ristau, Raen Johnson, Hannah Storlie, and Haley Joerg join Corson, Krage, Yoder, Sexton, Simon and Willford as FC’s 11 seniors. Corson is a four-year starter. Krage is a two-year stand-out hitter who seemingly won’t get to hit in a play-off match. She missed last year to injury and this year seems a no-go.