Wynot Lady Blue Devils top the Lady Wildcats

WYNOT — The Wynot Lady Blue Devil volleyball team is in mid-season form.

The Lady Devils have now won five out of their last six games.

The Big Blue defeated Hartington-Newcastle in home action last week to improve to 6-2.

Karley Heimes was a real force at the net against the Lady Wildcats, slamming down 12 kills in the threematch set contest and connecting for one block.

Wynot Coach Tammy Wieseler said her team played well at times, but still needs to keep working hard.

“The girls played well at times and then had some unfocused moments,” she said. Wieseler also noted that the team’s serving has to improve.

Hartington-Newcastle senior Erin Meisenheimer led the Lady Wildcats with five kills, while McKenzie Bruning added four kills and three blocks. Zoey Gratzfeld led the Purple Pride at the serving line with four aces.

“I am so proud of Erin,” Wildcat coach Leigh Haselhorst said. “She is a true definition of a leader. She cheers on the younger girls during their games and encourages all of her teammates. I love watching her play because she is everyone’s biggest cheerleader and her own too. You can’t say that about too many high school athletes.”

The Lady Wildcats are still trying to get into the right rhythm after an early COVID-19 quarantine wiped out a week of action.

“This week we took care of some little things that needed to be taken care of,” Haselhorst said. “I am a big believer in that little things create big things later. I am hopeful this next week we have some girls back from injuries and can start playing our wildcat ball again.

I think our defense holds us in games every time. Our offense has been struggling a bit but when they both click together, I believe these girls are unstoppable. We have really been working on running a faster tempo to the outside hitters and that seems to be effective in scoring.”

Meisenheimer, who admits to being a big fans of pumpkins and the fall season, is hoping that as the leaves change color that the Lady Wildcats will find a winning formula.

“We are starting to move better as a team – especially in the second set of the Wynot game,” Meisenheimer said. “We just need to work on keeping that momentum going. Coach says we are a rollercoaster team sometimes where we start slow and then in the middle of the match, we get real high. We need to work on our consistency and communication.

“Those are the big things we need to work on. Sometimes I think it’s just a mindset thing where we aren’t mentally ready when the game starts, and it takes a couple of points to get in the game. We have to be ready to play as soon as we get there.”

Meisenheimer said that team building, and more time spent together as a team wouldn’t hurt the process over the next few weeks.

Meisenheimer was a part of the team that made a postseason run to a district final and she believes history can repeat if some things fall into place.

“I see a lot of similarities and we are still a very young team so we just got to keep the ball rolling and practicing really hard and I think we will get there,” Meisenheimer said. “We are all willing to work hard. We started the season with a lot of injuries so it’s a nice thing to notice how we are bouncing back and adjusting.”

The Lady Wildcats host Osmond on Thursday.

The Lady Devils needed four sets to finish off the Queen Bees.

Wynot 25 25 25

Hartington-Newcastle 15 22 16

KILLS

HNS - Erin Meisenheimer, 5; Mackenzie Bruning, 4; Alivia Morten, 2; Olivia Grutsch, 2; Kennadi Peitz, 1. Wynot - Karley Heimes, 12; Kendra Pinkelman, 7; Amber Lawson, 5; Amy Tramp, 3; Allison Wieseler, 3; Krystal Sudbeck, 1; Myrah Sudbeck, 1.

SET ASSISTS

HNS - Alivia Morten, 9; Olivia Grutsch, 5. Wynot - Chloe Heimes, 21; Myrah Sudbeck, 8.

ACE SERVES

HNS - Zoey Gratzfeld, 4; Kennadi Peitz, 2; Alivia Morten, 2; Olivia Grutsch, 1; Mani Lange, 1. Wynot - Lauren Haberman, 4; Kayla Pinkelman, 4; Ella Brummer, 1.

BLOCKS HNS - Mackenzie Bruning, 3; Kennadi Peitz, 2; Zoey Gratzfeld, 1; Olivia Grutsch, 1; Erin Meisenheimer, 1. Wynot - Amber Lawson, 3; Amy Tramp, 2; Karley Heimes, 1; Krystal Sudbeck, Allison Wieseler, 1; Kendra Pinkelman, 1.

DIGS HNS - Mani Lange, 14; Kennadi Peitz, 10; Erin Meisenheimer, 7; Olivia Grutsch, 6; Alivia Morten, 6; Mackenzie Bruning, 1. Wynot - Lauren Haberman, 12; Kendra Pinkelman, 12; Karley Heimes, 11; Amber Lawson, 7; Ella Brummer, 6; Chloe Heimes, 5; Allison Weiseler, 2; Myrah Sudbeck, 2; Krystal Sudbeck, 1.

Wynot 25 25 24 25

Bloomfield 15 15 26 18

KILLS Wynot - Karley Heimes, 21; Kendra Pinkelman, 9; Amy Tramp, 5; Krystal Sudbeck, 4; Amber Lawson, 4; Allison Wieseler, 4; Kayla Pinkelman, 2; Myrah Sudbeck, 1.

ACE SERVES Wynot - Karley Heimes, 7; Ella Brummer, 1; Syrah Sudbeck, 1; Lauren Haberman, 1.

SET ASSISTS Wynot - Myrah Sudbeck, 23;Chloe Heimes, 18; Ella Brummer, 1; Kendra Pinkelman, 1.

BLOCKS Wynot - Amber Lawson, 5; Kendra Pinkelman, 2; Kayla Pinkelman, 1; Krystal Sudbeck, 1; Karley Heimes, 1.

DIGS Wynot - Ella Brummer, 16; Lauren Haberman, 6; Kendra Pinkelman, 6; Karley Heimes, 6; Amber Lawson, 5; Myrah Sudbeck, 3; Amy Tramp, 2; Chloe Heimes, 1; Krystal Sudbeck, 1; Kinslee Heimes, 1; Allison Wieseler, 1.

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