Sports

Ladyjacks grow as a team in busy first week

By Tyler Ohmann

09/03/2013

The college volleyball season got underway this past week as the Dakota College at Bottineau played their first matches of the season.

DCB opened the season at home against Bismarck State College last Wednesday.

Play was shaky for the Ladyjacks on the night, especially in game one.

“If you count the number of girls that have played in a college match it’s two,” said Ladyjacks head coach Cory Fehringer. “This is Bismarck’s fifth match, so we were behind from the get-go.”

“Whether it is game speed or practice, Bismarck had more under their belt,” Fehringer added.

Both sophomores, Ashleigh Aufforth and Leah Parizek, played well according to Fehringer, but it was the freshman who may have been a bit nervous.

“I was not surprised by some of the mistakes, because they were made by several of our freshman, but things we could control, like serving was very poor, but it will improve, our passing wasn’t very good, but it will improve,” Fehringer said. “Overall what I was most impressed with was our ability to be a great team, and the girls continued to support each other even when times weren’t really good.”

After a double-digit loss in game one, the Ladyjacks rallied back and forth with the Mystics in game two, but eventually fell 25-20.

“You talk about relentless effort in a hot gym against a good team when you are down, and to not give in or give up, but to continue to play, shows this team will get better match by match,” Fehringer said. “By the end of September they will be playing good volleyball.”

However, the Mystics made it a sweep with a convincing game three victory.

One of the biggest story lines in the game was the crowd support, especially from the student section. Fehringer was mightily impressed by the showing from the fans.

“I think the crowd support was the best it’s ever been in any athletic event that we’ve had at DCB,” Fehringer said. “The students and student athletes all showed up and did the best job they can do. I hope that continues and spreads throughout the rest of our athletic program.”

DCB’s season continued on Friday as they traveled to Bismarck to take part in the Bismarck State College Classic.

On day one the Ladyjacks had a bit of a rough day as they fell in both matches.

In the first match DCB took on Jamestown JV, and much like Wednesday fell behind early with a 25-13 loss in set one.

Play was better in set two, but the Jimmies again had the upper hand in a 25-17 win.

The Ladyjacks came together in the third set and squeaked past Jamestown 25-23 to stay alive.

However, the Jimmies rallied hard in the fourth set to earn the win with a 25-13 victory.

Despite the loss Fehringer was optimistic about DCB’s play.

“Several of the Ladyjacks played well as Justine Nordin and Krissy Lessman hit the ball as good as they have all year,” Fehringer stated. “Lauren Pederson was extremely strong defensively throughout the match with dig after dig. All in all it appeared we were headed in the right direction.”

In their second match the Ladyjacks went up against a strong Williston State College team. DCB fought to close losses in both of the first sets. However, the Tetons took home 25-19 and 25-20 wins to get the early lead.

The Tetons closed out the Ladyjacks for the sweep with a 25-12 win in the third set.

“Although we do not relay this information to our team, each opponent we have competed against has at least three or four more games than we do because they competed a weekend earlier than us,” Fehringer stated. “Another struggle has been our lineup has not and will not be consistent until we decide what athlete is best at what position for the betterment of the team.”

“Some of these early struggles can be associated to the altering of our lineup but this is necessary re-evaluate continually early in the year to maximize our talent and skill levels,” Fehringer added.

The Ladyjacks had a stronger day of play on Saturday at the classic as they split their two matches.

In the first match the Ladyjacks earned their first win as they took down Dawson Community College in four sets.

DCB found first blood with a 25-18 win in the first set. The Buccaneers bounced back with a 25-17 win in set two, but the Ladyjacks rallied to win the final two sets 25-23 and 25-16.

“Offensively and defensively it was easily our best game,” Fehringer stated. “Krissi Lessman was outstanding on the outside, Leah Parizek was moved to right side and did a great job, Savannah Bruce became a factor and Ashleigh Aufforth made great decisions all match with the ball.”

The Ladyjacks closed out their opening week with a match against Lake Region State College. DCB fell behind with a 25-15 loss in set one. They played strongly in set two, but still fell 25-21. The Ladyjacks got on the board with a 25-20 win in the third set and hoped to push the match to five sets. However, the Lady Royals fought hard and earned a 25-22 win in a back-and-forth match.

DCB is 1-4 on the season after the opening week. Fehringer did see some positive signs for the future.

“I must say watching our team compete on Saturday leads me to believe we have a ceiling yet to be scratched,” Fehringer stated. “Success will come in the form of our preparation and concentration. As this team grows a little older, a little more mature, and a little more competitive it will be interesting to see how good they can be at the end of October.”

Fehringer noted that despite not taking statistics that Aufforth, Parizek, Lesmann, Tessa Walters, Bruce, Justin Nordin and Halle Schumann were top performers.

The next match for DCB will be at Williston State College on Thursday.