Storm Survives Five-Set Thriller in Gretna
CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
CLICK HERE TO WATCH COACH & PLAYER VIDEO INTERVIEWS
GRETNA – Some times when teams that are ranked #1 and #2 play each other, it doesn’t live up to the hype. And then there are times you get the kind of match that took place Tuesday night in Gretna.
Elkhorn South, ranked #1 in Class B, and the second-ranked Dragons slugged it out in a grueling back-and-forth match that saw the Storm prevail over Gretna 25-23, 13-25, 20-25, 26-24, 15-10. The teams are ranked #9 and #10, respectively, in the overall Nebraska Top 25.
After dropping the first set, Gretna roared back in the second set and then finished the third set on a 6-1 run to take a 2-1 advantage in the match. In the fourth set, the Dragons used another 6-1 run to go up 23-19 on a kill by Sara Rahmanzai as they inched closer to a victory.
Elkhorn South, however, stopped the run on a kill by Ali Clark and then Kelsey Green and Leslie Booth combined on a block to get the Storm within 23-21. A kill by Booth and an ace block from Green then tied the score at 23-23 and Elkhorn South went up 24-23 on a Gretna hitting error.
Halie McArdle got a kill for the Dragons to tie it at 24-24, but a Gretna hitting error and an ace serve by Josie Givens gave Elkhorn South a 26-24 win in the fourth set.
In the fifth set, Booth sparked the Storm to an early lead it would never surrender as the senior got three kills in a 5-0 run that put Elkhorn South up 6-1 to start the decisive set. Elkhorn South eventually stretched that lead to 12-3 in the fifth set on another Givens aces serve and got to match point at 14-5 on a kill by Green.
Gretna, however, rattled off five straight points on a McArdle kill and four errors by the Storm. Green eventually finished the match with a kill.
The Gretna tandem of McArdle and Colorado State recruit Amanda Young put on a hitting clinic most of the night, combining for 45 kills. McArdle had a match-high 27 terminations.
Elkhorn South, meanwhile, got double-digit kills from Green (16), Clark (10), Sophie Auch Moedy (11) and Booth (13).
Elkhorn South improved to 8-4 on the season with the win and Gretna dropped to 12-2 – with both of its losses coming to the Storm this season.
#9 Elkhorn South def. #10 Gretna 25-23, 13-25, 20-25, 26-24, 15-10.
Elkhorn South (kills-ace serves-blocks)
Ali Clark 10-0-3, Ashley Knight 4-1-0, Kelsey Green 16-1-4, Kenzi Bay 0-1-0, Sophie Auch Moedy 11-0-0, Leslie Booth 13-0-1, Josie Givens 1-2-0.
Gretna (kills-ace serves-blocks)
Jaisa Russell 5-1-0, Sara Rahmanzai 10-0-4, Amanda Young 18-1-0, Hanna Ehmke 1-2-0, Katie Wewel 0-1-0, Emily Brown 0-1-0, Halie McArdle 27-2-1, Mallory Yost 4-0-1, Lauren Leapley 0-0-1.
Assists: Elkhorn South 50 ( Knight 47, Green 1, Auch Moedy 1, Jaden Thiem 1). Gretna 60 (Ehmke 57, Russell 1, Rahmanzai 1, Wewel 1).