Sports
Eagles advance to Region 6 tourney
Matthew Semisch
11/04/2014
Newburg-Westhope (N-W) had to navigate this year’s Class B District 11 volleyball tournament the hard way. The Eagles did so successfully, however, and booked their first Region 6 tournament appearance in five years.
N-W opened the District 11 tournament on Thursday with a 3-0 win (25-23, 25-20, 25-20) over Towner-Granville-Upham. A straight-sets loss to top-seeded Rugby (25-17, 25-19, 25-16) the following day, though, left the Eagles on the outside looking in in terms of a regional tournament berth.
When N-W returned to Bottineau on Monday for their winner-in match against Velva, the Eagles took care of business.
The Eagles, complete with five seniors on the roster, swept the Aggies 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-20). N-W (13-20) will open Region 6 tournament play next Monday in Minot against a District 12 team that hadn’t yet been determined at press time.
“These girls have been due for a regional tournament for so long,” Eagles head coach Kaitie Fluhrer said after N-W’s victory on Monday. “We’ve got our work to do before regionals, but we’re thrilled to be going.”
Eagles senior outside hitter Paige Stratton spoke for all of N-W’s eldest veterans in echoing their head coach’s sentiments.
“We as seniors have always wanted to go to regionals,” Stratton said, “And I don’t think any of us have worked harder before than we did to get there.”
Two other N-W seniors, middle blocker Lauren Mach and setter Molly Lodoen, were named on Monday to the All-District 11 team.