Warriors pick up wins during busy week on the volleyball court

The Central volleyball team had a full week of action, starting with a home triangular Sept. 2 against North Cedar and Clayton Ridge, followed by tournament play at Midland on Sept. 6.

The Warriors came out strong against North Cedar, taking the opening set 25-12. North Cedar responded with a tight 25-21 win, before closing out the match 15-9. 

Sophomore middle Ella Frieden led the Warrior offense with six kills, while senior Alivia Wiley added five. On the defensive side, junior Tenley Bormann stepped in off the bench and sparked the back row with a team-high nine digs, followed closely by Frieden with eight. From the service line, Wiley was a perfect 12/12, while freshman Carlie Bergan also provided a boost, serving 12/12 with three aces.

The Warriors bounced back in their second match of the night, defeating Clayton Ridge 25-12 and 25-17. Despite the sweep, coach Kelly Erickson noted the team wasn’t fully playing to its potential. 

Leading the way on offense was Frieden with nine kills, followed by Wiley with eight and senior Katie Royer with seven. Royer also distributed 12 assists, while junior Brylee Erickson chipped in 10. On defense, both Royer and Erickson anchored the back row with 11 digs apiece.

“Overall, I think we have been playing well, especially having some of our younger players step in due to injuries on the team. It’s been encouraging to see players step up in big moments,” Erickson said.

The Warriors carried their momentum into the Midland Tournament, starting with three straight wins against Midland, Bellevue Marquette and Easton Valley. In the opener against Midland, Central came out on top in three sets while serving an impressive 94 percent. Wiley led from the line, going 13/14 with an ace, while Bergan was perfect at 11/11 with one ace off the bench. Royer also contributed a steady 9/9 with an ace. 

Offensively, Royer tallied seven kills, followed by Frieden with six. Defensively, Wiley anchored the back row with 12 digs, Erickson added 11 and both Royer and sophomore Zoey Armstrong collected nine each. 

“Our serve receive was really good, as well as our defense. We played well together as a team,” said Erickson.

Next, the Warriors defeated Bellevue Marquette in straight sets. Wiley once again stood out at the service line, going a perfect 10/10. Central’s balanced attack was on full display, with multiple players contributing kills. Junior Layla Embretson led with four, while Royer, Wiley and Frieden each added three. Erickson and Avery Fette chipped in two apiece. 

Defensively, it was another strong team effort, led by Royer and Erickson with eight digs each. Frieden and Wiley added five, Armstrong four and Bormann three. 

“It just showed such a great team effort on our part on offense and defense,” Erickson commented.

Against Easton Valley, the Warriors showcased their defensive grit. Erickson and Bormann led the way with 12 digs apiece, followed by freshman Armstrong with eight. Royer collected seven digs and Wiley added six. On the attack, Frieden paced the offense with five kills, while Wiley chipped in three and both Royer and Embretson added two kills.

The Warriors then faced a tough Tipton team, falling in straight sets. Despite the loss, Central competed hard and served well, missing only three serves in the match. Erickson was a perfect at 7/7 from the line, while Royer and Bormann each went 5/5 with an ace. 

Offensively, Central struggled against Tipton’s strong defense, managing just four kills—Frieden with two and Erickson and Wiley each with one. On defense, Wiley led with seven digs, while Royer and Erickson each tallied six.

Central ended pool play against Monticello, dropping the match in two sets. Serve receive was a struggle, but Wiley and Erickson were steady at the line, each serving 7/7. At the net, Embretson came up big with two solo blocks, while Royer paced the offense with six kills. Erickson distributed five assists. On defense, Wiley and Armstrong led with 11 digs apiece, followed by Royer with 10 and Erickson seven.

After finishing second in pool play, the Warriors faced a strong North Cedar team in bracket play. Central came out sharp, winning the first set 21-17, but fell short as North Cedar rallied to take the next two, 21-12 and 15-10. 

Serving remained steady, with Wiley going 11/11 with an ace, Erickson 10/11 with two aces and Royer 8/8. On offense, Frieden led with six kills, followed by Wiley with five and Royer four. Royer distributed 11 assists while Erickson added seven. Defensively, Wiley anchored the back row with 12 digs, Royer had 10, Fette eight and Erickson seven.

After two weeks of competition, the Warriors sit at 9-9 overall. They will open conference competition at home on Sept. 11, against West Central.