MUDECAS
Courtesy of Beatrice Daily Sun
Daykin Meridian’s Lady Mustangs, the overall top seed in this year’s MUDECAS volleyball tournament, had little trouble Monday night dispatching the Bruning-Davenport Lady Storm in straight sets in opening-round A Division action.
Meridian won the match, 25-17, 25-8, over the eighth-seeded Lady
Storm.
With its victory, Meridian advances to take on fourth-seeded
Humboldt Table Rock Steinauer tonight at 7:30 p.m. in semifinal
action.
While Monday’s victory was the Lady Mustangs second over
Bruning-Davenport this season, Meridian coach Linda Johnson said
the Lady Storm is “always” a team she worries about.
“My sister-in-law is the coach and there’s a competitiveness
between us,” Johnson said. “There’s also a rivalry between the
kids, each one wants to beat the other one so bad.”
Along with being related, Bruning-Davenport coach Kelly Frank also
played for Johnson at Meridian.
Johnson said the Lady Mustangs never take the Lady Storm lightly.
The key to Meridian’s win Monday, Johnson said, was “jumping” on
Bruning-Davenport early. “We can’t let them gain any confidence,”
Johnson said. And Bruning-Davenport won’t be the only team the Lady
Mustangs will not be “taking lightly” in MUDECAS play.
“I don’t particularly think we are the No. 1 team,” Johnson said.
“There’s a lot of good teams in here. There’s a lot of parity.”
Johnson said she was pleased with the Lady Mustangs start in the
tournament. Meridian’s attack was led by Brandie Sykes with nine
kills and Allison Johnson with six. Sykes led Meridian in digs with
14, while Brooke Hofstetter had one ace block.
“Allison does a nice job in finding the court,” Johnson said.
“Brandie is such a quick player; she digs a lot of balls and hits
well.”
Taylor Johnson had 18 set assists for the Lady Mustangs and also
had a team-high three ace serves. “Taylor did a nice job of getting
the ball to the right spot,” Johnson said.
Ace serves: Meridian (Taylor Johnson three, Brooke Hofstetter one,
Brandie Sykes one, Melanie Baxa one). Bruning-Davenport (na).
Kills: Meridian (Taylor Johnson two, Allison Johnson six,
Hofstetter four, Sykes nine). Bruning-Davenport (na). Set assists:
Meridian (Taylor Johnson 18). Bruning-Davenport (na). Ace blocks:
Meridian (Hofstetter one). Bruning-Davenport (na). Digs: Meridian
(Taylor Johnson six, Ashley Hansel six, Allison Johnson four,
Hofstetter six, Sykes 14, Baxa six). Bruning-Davenport (na).
