Spikers Scrape By and Defeat the Spartans


Samantha Timanus, Journalist

The score was 13-14 in the fifth set of the game last Saturday with the Spikers in the lead. Wessington Springs served the ball over to the center back, and Jessy Jo VanDerWerff passed it directly to the setter, Sydney Svatos. Svatos set up Addy Nelson in the outside, and Nelson whacked the ball down to the back corner, winning the varsity game for the Spikers.

The Gregory Spikers didn’t travel two hours to Wessington Springs to lose, and worked hard all night. In the varsity game, they won the first set and the second, but lost the next two to the Spartans. The two teams battled for the entirety of the fifth set. The score was close; every time the Spikers took a lead, the Spartans would fight back and catch up. Both sides of spectators were sitting on the edge of their seats, but only one side went home with a win.

 Senior Megan Warnke was an invaluable player in the game, achieving 18 kills and 14 digs. Jessy Jo VanDerWerff, 8th grader, also stood out, successfully completing 38 out of 40 serve receives (95%). The team scored 22 points off Addy Nelsons serves, 6 of which were aces. Brooklyn VanDerWerff served for 11 points, and Makayla Thomas served 10 points with 2 aces.

The junior varsity team also worked hard, but unfortunately couldn’t pull through with a win. Jaycee Bartling and Brynn Hylla, both setters, were injured. Luckily, Shaylee Serr set 7 times with 100% accuracy, and Gracie Kenzy was accurate with 26 out of 28 sets. The JV lost the first set, but narrowly won the second set 27-25. The girls lost the third set, marking the only win for the Wessington Springs Spartans the entire night.

The C-team also had a game that Saturday. It won its first set 25-18 and its second set 25-20. Dakota Timanus scored 5 kills and passed 9 of the team’s 22 successful digs. Timanus also served 8 points for the team, 5 of which were aces. Gracie Kenzy served 3 aces and 11 total points for the girls. Overall, the Spikers had an eventful and mostly positive night in Wessington Springs last Saturday. The varsity girls will play next Saturday in a tournament in Bon Homme at 8:30 a.m..