Lady Bulldogs headed to Regionals

The Sundance volleyball team closed out their regular season with a split in their final conference matchups against the Moorcroft Wolves and the Big Horn Rams. 

The Bulldogs came out swinging on Tuesday as they hosted the Moorcroft Wolves. Finding momentum from the opening serve, the Bulldogs took set one 25-17.

That Bulldog momentum carried over into the second set, where they quickly added another win to their column with a decisive 25-11 victory. The Wolves fought back throughout set number three, as the teams traded point for point at the end, but it was the Bulldogs who were able to hold onto their lead, taking set number three 25-22, sealing their conference win.

Throughout the matches, Annika Haugen kept the offense moving with 24 set assists, while Jaylin Mills and Hailey Karol dominated the net with 16 and 14 kills respectively. 

On Friday, the Bulldogs squared off against the Big Horn Rams in a challenging showdown. The Rams' powerful presence at the net was evident as the Bulldogs fell in the first set, 14-25. With a few adjustments, the Bulldogs were gaining momentum throughout the second set.

Finding ways around the big blockers, and popping up the Rams' heavy hits, the Bulldogs stayed right on the Rams' heels, but fell just short of 25. Set number three continued to see the Bulldog determination breaking through, but the Ram's front line proved to be too much for the night as they fell 20-25 in set three. 

With the regular season behind them, the Bulldogs are now focusing on the regional tournament.

"We had a solid end to our regular season with some big conference wins," head coach Chelsey Blasczyk stated. "Heading into regionals we just have to stay consistent and beat a couple of teams that we have been able to defeat during the season. Regionals is a different brand of excitement and anxiety so we plan to prepare mentally this week so we are ready for the big loud crowds and tense moments that are sure to come."

The Lady Bulldogs will open their regional play on Friday, November 1, against the Wright Panthers. The first serve is set for 12:30 p.m. in Pine Bluffs. 

Stats

SHS 3, Moorcroft 0 (25-17, 25-11, 25-22):

Annika Haugen 8 digs, 3 kills, 24 assists

Jaylin Mills 6 digs, 16 kills, 7 assists, 2 blocks

Hailey Karol 4 digs, 2 aces, 14 kills, 2 blocks

Phoebe Skeens 1 kill, 2 blocks

Blakely Gill 1 ace, 11 digs

Karly Marchant 1 ace, 8 digs

Annie Harmon 2 kills, 4 aces, 8 digs

Arianna Neiman 1 kill, 1 assist, 1 dig

Kellie Phillips 9 digs

SHS 0, Big Horn 3 (14-25, 22-25, 20-25):

Annika Haugen 18 digs, 18 assists

Hailey Karol 2 aces, 5 digs, 10 kills, 1 block

Blakely Gill 2 aces, 15 digs

Karly Marchant 3 digs

Jaylin Mills 2 aces, 14 digs, 16 kills, 3 assists, 1 block

Annie Harmon 5 digs, 1 kill

Phoebe Skeens 6 digs, 1 kill, 1 assist, 1 block

Arianna Neiman 3 digs, 3 assists

Kellie Phillips 7 digs