Prep Volleyball Preview and Review - Shifts in leagues and in fortunes from day to day, week to week
The Cloverbelt Conference always has top-ranked prep volleyball teams.
Fall Creek and Osseo-Fairchild were two of those teams a year ago.
But this year the shift in the power teams in the league, especially the Western Cloverbelt, has gone to No. 10 ranked Stanley-Boyd, Bloomer, which has been ranked this season at one time, and No. 4 Chippewa Falls McDonell
Both the Crickets and Thunder have found this out the hard way for the first few weeks of conference play.
Fall Creek fell at Bloomer last week Tuesday, Sept. 20, losing Bloomer def. Fall Creek 25-15, 25-12, 25-18. FC's Tori Marten had six kills and two blocks, Grace Herrem had 11 digs and Jenna Fitch made 11 assists. Eau Claire Regis has shown great improvement this season and they handed Fall Creek a 3-2 league loss EC Regis def Fall Creek in five games 25-14, 23-25, 24-26, 25-17, 16-14 at home on Thursday, Sept. 22. Marten had 13 kills and five aces; Lauren Dallas made 17 assists and 10 digs, Fitch finished with 13 assists and four aces and Herrem 15 digs.
Osseo-Fairchild drops both of their Western Cloverbelt games last week. Eau Claire Regis won at O-F on Sept. 20 by a 3-1 score and and the Thunder lost at Thorp on Sept. 22 by scores of 25-18, 25-16, 24-26, 25-20.
Over in the Dairyland Conference, it was Augusta playing with a great deal of momentum. The Beavers first swept Independence at Indy 25-17, 25-14, 25-18 and then edged Whitehall in five games at home on the 22nd 25-17, 25-22, 21-25, 21-25, and 15-7. In this match, the Beavers' Sam Wincse led the way in kills last night racking up 11. Kennedy Korger and Emma Lee following up with eight kills a piece. Camryn Kirkham and Aleah Kaeding adding four kills a piece. Anna Shakal chipping in three kills as well. The Lady Beavs brought their shovels last night as well. Korger was a back row monster coming out with 33 digs. Addison Engstrom with 20. Sam Wincse with 18. Olivia Meyer with 8 digs. Aubrey Korger with 7. Anna Shakal, Emma Lee, and Tatum Krueger with 5 a piece respectfully. Engstrom led the way with 19 assists, Tatum Krueger following with 10. Olivia Meyer received 22 service attacks and passed up 20! Wincse cooked up nine aces through the night and pushed 10 serves in a row in the fifth set to push Augusta through the finish line.
Eleva-Strum dropped both their DC matches last week, to Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran on Tuesday 25-20, 25-22, 25-12 and to Blair-Taylor on Thursday, although the Cardinals played very hard and well against tjhe top team in the league, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-17.
Last Saturday, Sept. 24 all four Tri-County Area teams were in action and some saw a shift in their fortunes to end the week.
Fall Creek went 3-2 in the Cameron Tournament. The Crickets lost to Rice Lake 25-14, 25-14; def Cameron 25-14, 25-12; def Boyceville 25-18, 25-14; def. Prairie Farm 25-18, 23-25, 15-12 but lost to Colfax 25-9, 25-19. FC's stat leaders were Marten 40 kills, 42 digs, Gracie Marten 22 kills, Caroline Grossinger 15 kills, Dallas 45 assists, Fitch 51 assists and five aces and Herrem 58 digs and five aces.
Osseo-Fairchild, Augusta, and Eleva-Strum all took part in the Eleva-Strum Invitational at Central. For Augusta the day was a disaster as they had just one win in the round-robin tournament at 1-4. E-S also went 1-4 in the meet. It was O-F that had a good day going 3-2 (Thorp won the meet with a 5-0 record with Elmwood/Plum City 4-1 and Lake Holcombe also 1-4).
Overall records for the Tri-County Areas four teams going into this week's action were Fall Creek 17-14, Osseo-Fairchild 11-11, Augusta 6-10 and Eleva-Strum 6-16.
2022 Prep Volleyball Standings
West Cloverbelt Conference
Team Conf.
Chippewa Falls McDonell 3-0
Bloomer 2-1
Eau Claire Regis 2-1
Stanley-Boyd 2-1
Thorp 2-1
Fall Creek 1-2
Cadott 0-3
Osseo-Fairchild 0-3
Last Week's Matches
Tuesday, Sept. 20
Bloomer def. Fall Creek 3-0
Eau Claire Regis def. Osseo-Fairchild 3-1
Chippewa Falls McDonell def. Stanley-Boyd 3-1
Thorp def. Cadott 3-0
Thursday, Sept. 22
Chippewa Falls McDonell def. Bloomer 3-2
Thorp def. Osseo-Fairchild 3-1
Eau Claire Regis def. Fall Creek 3-2
Stanley-Boyd def. Cadott 3-0
This Week's Matches
Tuesday, Sept. 27
Cadott at Osseo-Fairchild
Fall Creek at Stanley-Boyd
Thorp at Chippewa Falls McDonell
Bloomer at Eau Claire Regis
Thursday, Sept. 29
Cadott at Fall Creek
Osseo-Fairchild at Chippewa Falls McDonell
Eau Claire Regis at Thorp
Stanley-Boyd at Blooomer
Next Week's Matches
Tuesday, Oct. 4
Chippewa Falls McDonell at Cadott
Osseo-Fairchild at Bloomer
Eau Claire Regis at Stanley-Boyd
Thorp at Fall Creek
Dairyland Conference
Team Conf.
Blair-Taylor 5-0
EC Immanuel Lutheran 4-0
Cochrane-Fountain City 4-1
Lincoln 3-1
Augusta 3-1
Melrose-Mindoro 2-3
Independence 1-2
Eleva-Strum 1-4
Whitehall 1-4
Gilmanton 0-4
Alma/Pepin 0-4
Last Week's Matches
Tuesday, Sept. 20
Augusta def. Independence 3-0
Blair-Taylor def. Melrose-Mindoro 3-1
Lincoln def. Cochrane-Fountain City 3-1
EC Immanuel Lutheran def. Eleva-Strum 3-0
Whitehall def. Gilmanton 3-0
Thursday, Sept. 22
EC Immanuel Lutheran def. Lincoln 3-0
Blair-Taylor def. Eleva-Strum 3-1
Melrose-Mindoro def. Gilmanton 3-1
Augusta def. Whitehall 3-2
Cochrane-Fountain City def. Alma/Pepin 3-0
This Week's Matches
Tuesday, Sept. 27
Augusta at Melrose-Mindoro
Blair-Taylor at Lincoln
Gilmanton at Eleva-Strum
Indpendence at Whitehall
EC Immanuel Lutheran at Alma/Pepin
Thursday, Sept. 29
Lincoln at Gilmanton
Alma/Pepin at Blair-Taylor
Cochrane-Fountain City at EC Immanuel Lutheran
Eleva-Strum at Augusta
Melrose-Mindoro at Independence
Next Week's Games
Tuesday, Oct. 4
Augusta at Lincoln
Blair-Taylor at Cochrane-Fountain City
Gilmanton at Alma/Pepin
Independence at Eleva-Strum
Whitehall at Melrose-Mindoro
