Two central Minnesota heavyweights slugged it out tonight in Clara City. The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team and MACCRAY Wolverines went into game five in what ended up being a two-hour marathon match. To top it off, the Jaguars had to overcome a 2-1 deficit in games.
The Jaguars rocketed out to a 5-0 lead in game five. They maintained the lead to 11-5 before the Wolverines forced a 12-12 tie. Paige Rupp's kill put the Jaguars ahead 13-12. Then the Wolverines hit out of bounds to bring game and match point. An attack by B-B-E sailed long to make the score 14-13. The ending came in an anti-climactic way when MACCRAY served into the net. Final score! B-B-E 15, MACCRAY 13.
Ava Mueller led the Jaguars (2-0) with 19 kills. Abby Berge, Brooklyn Fischer and Allison Dingmann all added seven kills each. Paige Rupp had six kills, and Kylie Winter added one kill and led the team with three ace serves.
This was MACCRAY's first loss; they are now 1-1 overall heading into their Camden Conference opener next Tuesday at Tracy-Milroy-Balaton high school.
Here's video with the end of the match! That was fun!
Game scores were 25-21, 18-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-13.
Time for a pit stop at Applebee's in Willmar! It doesn't look like I will get video or advertising posted until much later tonight.
Here's a post-match interview with senior Kailey Fischer:
Thank you, Kailey, for bearing with me on my first volleyball interview since 2019! I still have rust of my own to shake off as we get a full, normal volleyball season off and running!
So about what went down tonight at MACCRAY: wow!! What can I say? I am so proud of our Jaguars! The team AND the fans! The B-B-E student section was amazing tonight. AMAZING! They rocked the house at MACCRAY high school! Cannot say enough. BRAVO!
Get some rest out there, Jaguar Country! We have a BIG DAY tomorrow! Home tennis triangular starting at 9 a.m., and then the big football opener at home tomorrow night at 7 p.m. The football game will be aired on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood.
Area volleyball scores on September 2:
Central MN Christian 3, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 0 (CMCS is 4-1)
Paynesville 3, Dassel-Cokato 2 (Bulldogs win game five 15-10)
Montevideo 3, Benson 1
Melrose Area 3, Minnewaska Area 0
Area football scores on September 2 (season openers):
Murray County Central 40, MACCRAY 0 (at Maynard)
New London-Spicer 28, St. Cloud Cathedral 14 (the Wildcats win at Husky Stadium in St. Cloud; this was the first NL-S football game since the mid-2000s without Dan Essler as head coach; he has retired; Coach Essler is a 1981 Brooten high school graduate, and we wish him all the best! He is one hell of a great guy)
Royalton 46, Minnewaska Area 0 (Royals win big at Minnewaska's football field; the Lakers totaled just 57 yards of offense)
Renville County West 26, Westbrook-Walnut Grove 8 (RCW Jaguars win at the W-WG high school football stadium in Westbrook)
