Bucs down Jags in season finale
Young team ends their COVID-shortened season on a high note
The Blue Earth Area Buccaneers closed out their COVID-abbreviated season on a winning note with a 3-0 defeat of the Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman Jaguars in Blue Earth last Thursday, Nov. 19. The scores of the game were 25-21, 25-9 and 25-21.
“Our goal was to finish strong and we did that tonight,” BEA head coach Donna Nawrocki said. “We had some nice service runs and the girls did a nice job of covering.”
It was the Jaguars who took a 7-4 lead early in the first game. The Bucs fought back and tied the game at 7-7 only to see the Jags go back on top 9-7.
BEA eventually rallied to take a 20-14 lead only to see the Jaguars close the gap to two points at 23-21.
The Bucs made it 24-21 when a Jaguars’ kill attempt sailed out of bounds.
With Miya Gustafson serving, Alicia Machacek finished off the game with a kill for the 25-21 triumph.
Liz Beeler started at the service line for the Bucs in the second game and the junior served the Bucs to an 8-0 lead before the Jaguars could score a point.
“I told the girls to keep the foot on the gas pedal,” Nawrocki commented.
The BEA girls did just that. Brita Hougen’s kill ended the second game and gave the Bucs a 25-9 triumph.
The third game was very close and saw 14 tie scores. The last tie came at 18-18 before a kill by Maci Frommie put the Bucs up for good at 19-18.
The Jaguars could not handle a Gustafson serve which put BEA on top 20-18. Hougen’s tip found an open spot on the floor to make it 21-18 before another Gustafson serve fell to the floor for a 22-18 Buccaneer lead.
BEA worked the lead to 24-20 before Mahacek’s kill put an end to the game and the season.
“We had a well balanced attack tonight,” Nawrocki said. “All the girls chipped in.”
Gustafson led the team at the service line with 14 points on 16 of 17 serving and one ace. She also had eight digs.
Liz Beeler was 12 of 13 from the service line for nine points. She had one ace and also led the team with 26 set assists.
Eloise Blair was 9 of 12 from the service line with three aces and seven points.
Hailey Becker connected on seven of her nine serves with two aces and six points.
Frommie led the team with nine kills, Blair had seven, Machacek had six and Hougen had five. Frommie also had two ace blocks.
The Bucs finished their season with a 2-6 record.
It was the final game of their high school careers for seniors Gustafson, Gabby Haaland, Mari Vargas, Roxanne Quintero and Amarrah Harris. It was also the last game for senior student manager Danniel Gleason.
New Ulm 3, BEA 0
The Blue Earth Area girls volleyball team traveled to New Ulm last Tuesday, Nov. 17, to take on the Eagles in a Big South Conference contest. The 6-1 Eagles won the contest 3-0.
The Eagles took the first two games by identical 25-19 scores and then closed out the match by winning the third game 25-9.
Eloise Blair returned to action for the Bucs and led the team in kills, digs and serving. Blair had eight kills and 13 digs. She was 10 of 10 at the service line with one ace and seven points.
Hailey Becker had a good night serving. The freshman hit 8 of 9 serves for five points.
Junior Liz Beeler led the team with 20 set assists.
Maci Frommie finished the night with five kills, Brita Hougen had four and Emma Langager had three.
Senior Miya Gustafson had eight digs from her libero position.
With the loss, BEA’s record now stands at 1-6.