10 Best: Elkhorn South vs. Millard North
OMAHA – If Tuesday night was any indication of things to come this season, good luck trying to stop Millard North sophomore McKenna Ruch. Ruch, the #1 prospect in the Class of 2020, had 21 kills and a block to…
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Continue ReadingOMAHA – If Tuesday night was any indication of things to come this season, good luck trying to stop Millard North sophomore McKenna Ruch.
Ruch, the #1 prospect in the Class of 2020, had 21 kills and a block to lead the defending Class A champions to a 25-19, 15-25, 25-21, 25-17 win over Class B #4 Elkhorn South in the season-opener for both schools.
Junior OH Paige Holdsworth got the Mustangs off to a fast start in the first set before things went a little sideways for Millard North in the second set. Elkhorn South controlled the second set behind the play of Logan Connealy, MacKenzie Saitta and Ibi Green, but Ruch took over the in the third and fourth sets. In the fourth set, a Connealy kill got the Storm within 16-13 of Millard North, but the Mustangs closed out the match on a 9-4 run with Ruch having three kills in that span.
Now, on to the 10 Best from the match….
MVP: McKenna Ruch (Millard North)
Ruch, a 6’2 sophomore, showed why she’s considered the top prospect in the Class of 2020 and one of the best players in the state on Tuesday night with her 21-kill performance. She didn’t get a lot of swings early, but she was impossible to stop late. Her 21 kills came on 42 swings with a hitting percentage of .405. The thing about Ruch is that she can dominate from anywhere along the net. College coaches look at her as a player that can play in the middle or at the pins and she showcased an array of shots against Elkhorn South. Even as deep and talented as Millard North is along the net, Ruch is in line for a huge season.
Best Offensive Performance: MacKenzie Saitta (Elkhorn South)
Saitta finished with a team-high nine kills for Elkhorn South, with many of them coming at crucial times to keep the Storm close in the third and fourth sets. Saitta, a 6’0 junior, is a designated thumper for the Storm. She’s not an OH that is going to play back row or get you many blocks, but she will give you some quality swings at the net.
Best Defensive Performance: Emmy Grant (Millard North)
Grant only had three digs, but she doesn’t earn this honor for her back row play. The 6’1 junior finished the night with four blocks and seemingly got a piece of every attack that came within her vicinity of the net. Millard North libero Madison Evans was her usual standout self with 21 digs, but Grant’s play at the net was where the defense all started.
Best All-Around Performance: Izzy Lukens (Millard North)
The all-state sophomore setter did a solid job distributing her 44 assists among all the Millard North weapons but also finished with seven kills, six digs, a block and a service ace. Lukens is as crafty as any setter in the state and forces opponents to be constantly aware of her as a threat.
Best Intangibles: Logan Connealy (Elkhorn South)
It wasn’t the greatest night at the net for the 6’0 junior as she finished with eight kills and a block, but she still flashed her all-around game with timely defense and solid passing.
Best Part About the Concession Stand: The Pretzel Packaging
I have to say there were some very fine young people running the Millard North concession stand and the packaging the pretzel and cheese came in was amazing. Easy to carry without worrying about if your shirt is getting in the cheese dip, etc. It was great. However, take a look at that salt placement. What was I supposed to do with that? One big glob of salt in the middle and you know if I try to smooth it out the salt is just going to fall on the ground. The salt placement was disappointing. On top of that, the concession stand closed, like, early in the second set. I have to question the commitment level of a concession stand that closes shop that early.
Best Stock-Raising Performance: Paige Holdsworth (Millard North)
The 5’10 junior emerged as the L2 for the Mustangs and had a very solid night in her first varsity start. After a hot first set, Holdsworth cooled off a little bit and finished with nine kills on 29 swings with a .103 hitting percentage. She might have had a couple more errors than you would like, but she also led the team with 21 serve receptions and her nine digs were second most on the team as well.
Best Performance by a Sophomore or Freshman: Ibi Green (Elkhorn South)
Smith was, to me, the surprise of the night. A 5’9 sophomore RS, Green played exclusively on JV last year, but looks poised to be a significant contributor at the varsity level for the Storm. Green finished the night with eight kills and two blocks and showed good strength and the ability to hit a heavy ball.
Best Player to Watch Out For Moving Forward: Rylee Gray (Elkhorn South)
The highly-touted 6’3 freshman MB had some really good moments during the match and finished the night with four kills and three blocks. You can certainly tell she’s going to be special and it will be interesting to see how quickly she is able progress, because the talent is unquestionably there.
Best Part of the Atmosphere: Millard North Student Section
Very rarely do you get electricity in a Class A gym for a volleyball match, especially compared to matches between smaller schools where the student body always has a great turnout and you usually even have bands playing. But, props to the Millard North student section for coming out in good numbers and giving their team the kind of support it deserves. It would be nice to see more of that in Class A.