Aggressive Play Pushes Ord to Upset Win over Kearney Catholic

Interview with Ord coach Wendy Alexander

Interview with Ord senior Morgan Alexander

Interview with Ord junior Danielle Bruha

Interview with Kearney Catholic coach Kris Conner

KEARNEY - When a Courtney Shundoff attack skimmed along the tape and rolled to the floor for Kearney Catholic to put the Stars up 24-22 in the decisive third set over Ord, the Chanticleers were facing more than just a couple match points.

There was the loud home crowd for Kearney Catholic eagerly anticipating a victory. There was the Stars' 25-match winning streak. There was the fact Ord hasn't defeated Kearney Catholic since 2007.

But then came Ord juniors Andrea Carson and Danielle Brusha and they apparently didn't care about any of that.

Carson ended a long rally by crushing a kill from the outside that bounced off a Kearney Catholic defender and high into the stands to make it 24-23 in the third set and then Bruha unloaded for three straight kills to end an incredible 25-20, 26-28, 26-24 match in favor of the Chants.

It was the first loss on the season for the three-time defending Class C-1 champions from Kearney Catholic as the Stars fell to 20-1 on the year. With the win, Ord improved to 19-1 on the season. The match was the final of three played in the triangular with the Stars defeated Class C-2 #7 Doniphan-Trumbull 25-11, 25-12 in the opener and Ord downing the Cardinals 25-11, 25-15 in the middle match.

The best was definitely saved for last, however, as the two Class C-1 powers produced a wild match to end the night.

The first set between the Stars and Chants was tight all the way, but a kill by Cora Svoboda and ace serve from Ali Smith helped Ord extend its lead to 19-16 late in the set. A kill by Anna Squires got Kearney Catholic back within 21-19, but the Chants closed out the set on a 4-1 run and took the 25-21 victory on a kill by Bruha.

The second set was the same way with neither team able to establish a significant lead and when Kylie Thiele smashed an overpass for the Stars, it tied the set at 21-21. Squires then had consecutive solo blocks in the middle that pushed the Stars out to a 23-21 lead. Rod fought back and the score wound up being tied at 23-23, 24-24, 25-25 and again at 26-26 when Morgan Alexander won a joust at the net for the Chants.

A Shundoff block followed by a Madison Squires kill, however, got Kearney Catholic the second-set victory to even the match.

The third set followed the same script as the other two early on, but Kearney Catholic went on a 6-1 run highlighted by two Thiele kills, an Anna Squires block and Jenny Beans ace serve to take a 17-12 lead. The Stars' lead remained at five points when a Thiele kill made it 19-14, but that's when the Chants started their late rally.

Three Kearney Catholic hitting errors around a Ashley Carson ace and Allie Welniak kill led to Ord getting even at 19-19. The Stars got kills from Anna Squires, Madison Squires, Jordan Streit and Shudoff to get its lead to 24-22 before Ord finished the match on a 4-0 run.

Andrea Carson led Ord with 15 kills and Bruha added 13 while Welniak had 10. Alexander added two kills of her own to go with 38 assists. Thiele led Kearney Catholic with 12 kills while Anna Squires added nine and four blocks.

In Doniphan-Trumbull's two losses earlier in the day, Wichita State recruit Lauren Hinirchs had five kills in each match.

Kearney Catholic def. Doniphan-Trumbull 25-11, 25-12

Doniphan-Trumbull (14-6) Ranked #7 in Class C-2

Ellie Koch - 1 kill, 0 aces, 1/2 block, 0 digs, 0 assists.
Carsyn Poppe - 1 kill, 0 aces, 0 blocks, 5 digs, 9 assists.
Ana Terrazas - 0 kills, 0 aces, 0 blocks, 0 digs, 0 assists.
Logan Poppe - 0 kills, 0 aces, 0 blocks, 0 digs, 0 assists.
Makenna Niemoth - 3 kills, 0 aces, 0 blocks, 6 digs, 0 assists.
Kiana Pfeifer - 0 kills, 1 ace, 0 blocks, 0 digs, 0 assists.
Abby Williams - 0 kills, 0 aces, 0 blocks, 10 digs, 0 assists.
Lauren Hinrichs - 5 kills, 0 aces, 1 1/2 blocks, 9 digs, 0 assists.

Team totals - 10 kills, 1 ace, 2 blocks, 32 digs, 9 assists.

Kearney Catholic (20-1) Ranked #1 in Class C-1

Stats unavailable at this time.

Ord def. Doniphan-Trumbull 25-11, 25-15

Doniphan-Trumbull (14-6) Ranked #7 in Class C-2

Ellie Koch - 3 kills, 0 assists, 1 block, 0 digs, 0 assists.
Carsyn Poppe - 0 kills, 1 ace, 0 blocks, 6 digs, 10 assists.
Ana Terrazas - 0 kills, 0 aces, 0 blocks, 4 digs, 0 assists.
Logan Poppe - 1 kill, 0 aces, 0 blocks, 0 digs, 0 assists.
Makenna Niemoth - 1 kill, 0 aces, 0 blocks, 5 digs, 0 assists.
Kiana Pfeifer - 1 kill, 0 aces, 0 blocks, 1 dig, 0 assists.
Abby Williams - 0 kills, 0 aces, 0 blocks, 2 digs, 0 assists.
Lauren Hinrichs - 5 kills, o aces, 1 block, 3 digs, 0 assists.

Team totals - 11 kills, 1 ace, 2 blocks, 21 digs, 10 assists.

Ord (19-1) Ranked #4 in Class C-1

Stats unavailable at this time.

Ord def. Kearney Catholic 25-20, 26-28, 26-24

Ord (19-1) Ranked #4 in Class C-1

Andrea Carson - 15 kills, 0 blocks, 1 assist, 1 ace.
Morgan Alexander - 2 kills, 0 blocks, 38 assists, 0 aces.
Danielle Bruha - 13 kills, 0 blocks, 0 assists, 0 aces.
Allie Welniak - 10 kills, 0 blocks, 1 assist, 0 aces.
Katelyn DeRiso - 3 kills, 1 block, 0 assists, 1 ace.
Ashley Carson - 0 kills, 0 blocks, 0 assists, 2 aces.
Cora Svoboda - 1 kill, 0 blocks, 0 assists, 0 aces.
Ali Smith - 0 kills, 0 blocks, 0 assists, 1 ace.
Jordan Kuck - 0 kills, 0 blocks, 1 assist, 0 aces.

Team totals - 44 kills, 1 block, 41 assists, 5 aces.

Kearney Catholic (20-1) Ranked #1 in Class C-1

Kylie Thiele - 12 kills, 0 blocks, 1 assist, 1 ace.
Madison Squires - 7 kills, 0 blocks, 22 assists, 0 aces.
Courtney Shundoff - 7 kills, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 0 aces.
Anna Squires - 9 kills, 4 blocks, 10 assists, 0 aces.
Jenny Beans - 0 kills, 0 blocks, 0 assists, 2 aces.
Jordan Streit - 5 kills, 2 blocks, 0 assists, 0 aces.
Emilee Moore - 0 kills, 0 blocks, 1 assist, 0 aces.
Sara Oldfather - 0 kills, 1 block, 1 assist, 0 aces.
Michelle Messbarger - 0 kills, 0 blocks, 0 assists, 1 ace.
Ashlynn Schmaderer - 0 kills, 0 blocks, 0 assists, 1 ace.

Team totals - 40 kills, 9 blocks, 36 assists, 5 aces.