Lady Cats are on five-game win streak

HARTINGTON — The Hartington-Newcastle Lady Wildcats have gotten into a rhythm at just the right time it appears.

The Lady Wildcats are on a five-game winning streak, beating Wausa 2-1 (20-25, 25-16, 25-22), Wakefield 2-0 (25-18, 25-19) and Plainview 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25-15) to move to 9-7 overall.

They hoped to continue their hot streak Tuesday at Randolph before returning home to host a triangular with Bloomfield and Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Thursday night. Saturday will be a full day, too, as the Lady Wildcats host their annual tourney.

“I love this tournament, as there is always some great volleyball played that day,” Hartington-Newcastle head coach Leigh Haselhorst said. “When we hosted the triangular the other night, that was the best I have seen the girls play against Wausa. We lost the first set and I was so proud of the way they responded. They used every tool to get the next two wins.

“It was a fun game to coach, so I imagine a very fun game to play as well,” she said.

Against Wakefield, Kayden Jueden (11 kills, 20 digs), Erin Folkers (eight kills), MacKenna Clarkson (five aces), Olivia Grutsch (17 digs) and Alivia Morten (23 assists) led the Lady Wildcats in the Wausa win.

Folkers and Jueden both had 11 kills, Clarkson added four aces, Grutsch and Jueden had 20 and 18 digs apiece and Morten distributed 24 assists.

The Lady Wildcats have gotten better at spreading the ball around and losing that air of predictability, according to their coach.

“I look at the stats at the end of the night and we are much more balanced,” Haselhorst said. “Balance is a word that I have thrown around a lot this year. It can relate to so much more than just on the volleyball court. There has to be a balance of effort and desire for them to play together.

“The girls also have to learn how to balance their school and extracurricular activities. That is what makes them all great volleyball players, but more importantly intelligent young women.”

One of those women is Makenna Clarkson, one of the leaders of this overall, young squad.

“She is the loudest one on the court and the bench,” Haselhorst said. “She is the best team player and genuinely happy for her teammates when they succeed. She is incredibly selfless. She has been a key player for us. She comes in and has a super aggressive serve. She ends the game with around five aces.”

Clarkson, a senior outside hitter, admits she is a jovial sort and has evolved into that role more and more yearly.

“My freshman year, my input I gave forth to the team was just my loud cheering,” she said. “It carried over all four years and that’s what I give the team. That’s what I help them with: The positivity and all the excitement of each point.”

Clarkson got the personality of her aunt Jess, who she says, “that me and her are spitting images,” and enjoyed living with during her youth growing up in Wausa before she and her mother, Traci Uldrich, finally moved out.

“She’s also my godmother so she is always around,” Clarkson said of Jess.

With so many freshmen on the roster, Clarkson thinks her energy can help the team members get out of their shells a bit as well.

“You have me over there being all goofy and loud and it makes them smile and loosen up more and be more themselves,” Clarkson said. “I see the girls break out of their shell and you see more of their personality, too.”

Another shell that breaks out is when Clarkson launches what can be mistaken as missiles coming off of her serving arm at opponents.

“I like to think that I have always had a pretty good serve,” she said. “It was kind of there and maybe a coach said to do something different and from there it just happened. I haven’t changed a whole lot.”

That serving personality is going to come in handy during the next couple dates on the calendar.

A busy week is going to definitely test the Lady Wildcats mettle.

“This week will be a test for us,” Haselhorst said. “We will play a total of six games this week and possibly another six games the next week. That is a lot of volleyball. I am grateful that they have a common desire to compete. They have won some big games and they know what that feels like now. That will be huge for us in the next few weeks as we see some tough opponents.

“It will be important to take care of ourselves mentally and physically the last few weeks of the season. We finish with a lot of games. It has been a slow climb to get to where we are, but I think this is a really special team because of the options that I have.”

One option the team hopes not to have to deal with is a shutdown of the waning days of the season, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ring true in Northeast Nebraska with continued cancelations of games and in-school class shutdowns.

“I am thrilled that we have made it this far into the season,” Haselhorst said. “We are always stressing the importance of smart choices on and off the court. We are doing everything in our power to keep playing the game we all love.”

Wausa 25 16 22

Hartington 20 25 25

KILLS HNS - Erin Folkers, 11; Kayden Jueden, 11; Lauren Howell, 5; Keana Korth, 4; Makenna Clarkson, 2; Keeley Wiepen, 1. Wausa - Hunter West, 9; Morgan Kleinschmit, 6; Alexa Cunningham, 6; Brooke Kumm, 5; Ali Lundberg, 1.

ACE SERVES HNS - Makenna Clarkson, 4; Mani Lange, 2; Kayden Jueden, 2; Keeley Wiepen, 2; Olivia Grutsch, 1. Wausa - Hunter West, 2; Jade Kaiser, 2; Clara Schindler, 1.

BLOCKS HNS - Kayden Jueden, 2. Wausa - Alexa Cunningham, 4; Ali Lundberg, 3; Brooke Kumm, 3; Morgan Kleinschmit, 2; Hunter West, 2. DIGS HNS - Olivia Grutsch, 20; Kayden Jueden, 18; Ke

DIGS HNS - Olivia Grutsch, 20; Kayden Jueden, 18; Keana Korth, 10; Lauren Howell, 8; Erin Folkers, 7; Alivia Morten, 6; Makenna Clarkson, 5; Mani Lange, 2; Keeley Wiepen, 1. Wausa - Hunter West, 18; Morgan Kleinschmit, 4; Leah Bloomquist, 4; Brooke Kumm, 4; Clara Schindler, 2; Jade Kaiser, 1; Abrielle Nelson, 1; Abby Kaiser, 1,

SET ASSISTS HNS - Alivia Morten, 34. Wausa - Clara Schindler, 27.

Plainview 13 12 15

Hartington 25 25 25

KILLS HNS - Kayden Jueden, 17; Erin Folkers, 8; Keana Korth, 4; Kennadi Peitz, 4; Keeley Wiepen, 4; Erin Meisenheimer, 1.

ACE SERVES HNS - Kennadi Peitz, 1; Olivia Grutsch, 1; Kayden Jueden, 1; Keeley Wiepen, 1.

BLOCKS HNS - Kayden Jueden, 1; Keeley Wiepen, 1.

DIGS HNS - Olivia Grutsch, 18; Erin Folkers, 12; Kayden Jueden, 11; Alivia Morten, 6; Lauren Howell, 4; Keana Korth, 2; Kennadi Peitz, 1; Erin Meisenheimer, 1; Keeley Wiepen, 1.

SET ASSISTS HNS - Alivia Morten, 33; Kennadi Peitz, 1; Lauren Howell, 1; Olivia Grutsch, 1.

Wakefield 19 18

Hartington 25 25

KILLS HNS - Kayden Jueden, 11; Erin Folkers, 8; Lauren Howell, 4; Keana Korth, 3; Keeley Wiepen, 1.

ACE SERVES HNS - Makenna Clarkson, 5; Mani Lange, 1; Olivia Grutsch, 1; Kayden Jueden, 1.

BLOCKS HNS - Keana Korth, 2; Kayden Jueden, 1; Alivia Morten, 1.

DIGS HNS - Kayden Jueden, 20; Olivia Grutsch, 17; Alivia Morten, 9; Lauren Howell, 8; Erin Folkers, 7; Keana Korth, 3; Mani Lange, 1.

SET ASSISTS HNS - Alivia Morten, 23; Lauren Howell, 2; Keeley Wiepen, 1; Keana Korth, 1.

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