Monday began play in the SEI Volleyball Tournament for area junior high programs. Crosstown rivals Batesville and St. Louis met in the opening round, and it was the Bulldogs advancing in both levels.
Batesville’s 7th grade defeated St. Louis 25-10 and 25-19.
BMS coach Angie Ehrman said, “We got off to a strong start in the tournament. The team hustled to create some very good plays.
Ehrman reported these serving stats. Caitlyn Fox earned 11 points including 6 aces. Ella King had 10 points including 3 aces. Brooke Wilhelm chipped in 4 points while Ella Weber, Maddie Haskamp and Madi Meyer each had 2.
Hitting stats for the BMS 7th included: Sydney Campbell had 4 kills, King had 3 while Wilhelm, Fox, Haskamp and Leigh Hertel all had 2. Claire Niese had a nice tip for a kill. Ehrman noted Eliza Weiler, Alexis Gallagher and Katie Wirth all played well.
St. Louis coach Erin Trenkamp said, “Our 7th grade struggled to serve receive at first which put us in a hole to dig out of. Once we got that in place, we were playing a team that could rally back and forth which was a rare sight this season. Our girls weren’t used to this and were caught off guard. The Cardinals worked very hard and will work hard in our off season to prepare for them next year. It was a fantastic season coming out 8-10.”
Serving points for SLS 7th: Olivia Leising with 4, Grace Gutzwiller with 2 including 1 ace and Madi Dierckman, Mimi Smith and Campbell Miles all adding 2 points.
The 8th grade winning scores for Batesville were 25-12 and 25-13.
Bulldog coach Shelly Prickel noted Grace Walter set the pace from the service line earning 14 points including 6 aces, while Addison Luers had 9 points including 5 kills. Jade Martin and Ava Walsman scored 5 and 4 points respectively. Reesa Zimmerman had a strong night in the front row knocking in 4 kills on 8 swings. Walter had 2 kills at the net, while Luers and Ava Hilbert each contributed 1 kill.
Serving points for SLS 8th were Bridget Lohmueller with 3 points plus 2 aces, Ashley Hunter with 3 points and Rachel Suttmann with 2 points and an ace.
Coach Trenkamp had this assessment of the Cardinal 8th grade.
“These ladies were up against a strong team that played the net very well,” stated Trenkamp. “We were caught standing many times which left playing defense on the net impossible. Once we got it figured out, we were in a hole trying to dig our way out. These girls kept the spirit and worked so hard all season. To the 8th grade girls, I wish you nothing but a great future in the game of volleyball. You were a blessing to coach. I hope your night was enjoyable and memorable. You all will be missed next year. Thanks to BMS for sharing this evening with us and allowing us to hold this during tournament play. Good Luck to our neighboring Bulldogs and bring home the championship!”
Both Batesville teams were scheduled to host Greendale in the second round on Tuesday. We thank coaches Ehrman, Prickel and Trenkamp for the information.