×

Tigers volleyball claws Bucs for BSC championship

BLUE EARTH — The Big South Conference officially combined the former South Central and Southwest conferences into a 13-team power league four years ago. Since the merger, no other program beside the Marshall Tigers has been crowned as the super conference’s volleyball champion.

Sophomore setter/spiker Logan Sherman produced match-bests of 23 set assists and 16 points behind 19-for-21 serving to complement five ace blocks to help power Class AA, No. 2-ranked Marshall to a 25-9, 25-9, 25-22 sweep over the Blue Earth Area Bucs during the BSC championship clash on Tuesday night in Blue Earth.

Ahead 4-1 in the opener, the 6-foot Sherman reeled off seven consecutive service points to help the hard-hitting Tigers pounce to an insurmountable 11-1 lead.

Sherman displayed her multi-tasking skills by also distributing assists to middle hitter Paige Andries and outside spiker Kaylee Gossen during the run, with Gossen setting up outside hitter Erica Jones for the scoring sequence’s initial kill.

Andries finished with a team-best 10 kills to complement four blocks during the three-game span, Jones cranked nine kills to go with nine points behind 12-for-13 serving, freshman Jordyn Hilgemann supplied seven kills and two blocks, while Gossen chipped in six kills.

“That’s been our story all year long — we’re a pretty balanced hitting attack,” said Marshall head coach Dan Westby. “Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I still believe that winning your conference is an important goal.”

The Tigers’ fourth straight Big South crown carved another place in the program’s rich history book by collecting its 32nd league championship in the sport overall.

Ahead 11-1 in Game 1, middle hitter Lindsey Norman converted one of twin sister Alissa Norman’s 14 set assists into a sideout kill for the Bucs, but it was only a yield sign for the Tigers.

Hilgemann later drilled a stinging cross-court kill off one of setter Rachel Schwarz’s nine assists for a sideout winner at 19-6 before Maddie Marks stepped to the service area for Marshall.

Marks reeled off four points on the strength of two Sherman rejections and a kill on an overpass and a Jones kill from Schwarz for a 23-6 lead.

Alissa Norman’s timely tip halted the Tigers’ surge temporarily as Sofie Blair rotated to the end line. Blair, who finished with a team-best 10 points on 15-for-16 serving, generated two points before Jones halted the mini-run and then ended Game 1 with a sizzling cross-court blast off another Schwarz set assist.

Once again, Sherman literally served as Marshall’s scoring catalyst in Game 2 by registering a sideout block before serving three early points for a 4-0 lead.

Andries displayed her vertical leap on back-to-back jacks off Sherman sets, while Blair answered with two of her team-best seven kills to inch the Bucs within 7-6.

Sherman’s block proved as pivotal at 8-6 as Andries’ laser blast from the middle to eventually rotate Jones to the service area. Jones assembled a five-point run, with Andries and Gossen delivering the frontline firepower, before Blue Earth Area called timeout at 21-9.

Westby rotated Olivia Petersen to the backline for Jones and the Marshall junior served out the final four points of the 25-9 Game 2 win.

Blair’s serving prowess during the early stages and latter portion of Game 3 — four points during each span — and Lindsey Norman’s hitting kept the Bucs within striking distance.

Marshall’s balance, however, proved too much during the back-and-forth game as Hilgemann, Jones and Andries each powered home three kills to eventually fend off Blue Earth Area’s comeback bid, 25-22.

Blair finished with a team-best seven kills and three blocks, Lindsey Norman pounded out six spike-winners, while Buc teammates Hannah Johnson and Alyssa Ripley delivered two kills each.

Blue Earth Area (15-10), the BSC’s East Division champion, competes in the Rochester Century Invitational on Friday and Saturday to close out the regular season.

The Bucs await the results of today’s seeding meeting for their opening-round match in the Section 2AA, South Sub-Section playoffs on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. at the higher seed’s home court.

Marshall (22-6) plays host to Tracy-Milroy-Balaton in a regular-season final dual meet on Thursday night.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.65/week.

Subscribe Today