Lady Cats pick up a pair of wins

HARTINGTON — Things are starting to come together for Coach Leigh Haselhorst’s Lady Wildcats.

Hartington-Newcastle defeated Bloomfeld and Osmond last week in Lewis and Clark Conference action.

Bloomfield refused to go down easily.

The Queen Bees matched HNS match point for match point until the Lady Cats finally pulled out the 35-33 first-set win.

“The Cats really had to fight in that first set,” Haselhorst said. “I thought it was important to get that win because the team that won would control the game from there on out. With a score like 35-33 in volleyball, it is really physically and mentally exhausting. The girls did a great job of keeping their composure and making smart choices.”

Bloomfield bounced back to claim a 25-21 decision in the next set, but HNS would not be denied as they controlled the next two sets to claim the win.

“The girls have really started to play well together. I am lucky to have the depth on the bench this year and play middles that will do well according to the other teams strengths,” Coach Haselhorst said. “Keanna Korth has stepped up in the middle position this week and had some nice swings and touches on the blocks.”

Another aspect of the team’s game, serve receive, has also looked good, she said.

“I think our serve receive has been solid which allows my setter, Alivia Morten, to feed the ball to more people. She has done a great job of forcing the middles and right sides this week.

The schedule becomes a little bit more grueling now, but Haselhorst believes her team is ready for the challenge.

“When we get into October, the games during the week start to pick up as we have a lot of triangulars. The girls like the change in pace going to two out of three matches but that will force us to focus from the beginning,” she said.

The team is really gaining traction and confidence as it enters into the final month of the season,” Haselhorst said.

“I think it’s a great time to be playing our best game. I see them to continue to grow together over the next few weeks,” she said. “I tell the girls to focus on the game that is in front of us. We have to take care of the little things to make the big things count. Every serve, pass, set, hit, game matters, especially in a year like 2020.”

HNS now stands at 6-7 on the year.

The Lady Cats hosted a home triangular on Tuesday against Wausa and Wakefield. On Thursday, varsity will travel to Plainview for a 4:45 p.m. scheduled game.

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