Neligh-Oakdale Goes 1-1 In Season Opener On The Road

The Neligh-Oakdale volleyball team opened its season Thursday evening on the road.

The Warriors went 1-1 at the Santee Triangular.

"I see potential in these girls, so we are going to keep at it every day at practice and every game learning from mistakes and building on the positives," coach Hannah Hoefer said. "We're focusing on certain areas and will be playing different players until we find what will work best and get us a better outcome."

The Warriors opened the triangular with a straight-sets win over the host, beating Santee 25-6, 25-8. Co-captain Kristin Rice had five ace serves, two solo blocks, two digs and a kill in the win while her co-captain Hallie Knutson put up six assists and had three ace serves, two digs and a kill. Shelby Keetle aced five serves and had three set assists, one solo block and one kill. 

"I was pleased with the team celebrating small plays during this game, and it gave us a chance to get everyone in off the bench for that first varsity game experience," Hoefer said. "That helps getting rid of some of the nerves that come with playing at this level for the first time."

The Warriors evened their record with a 25-19, 25-17 loss to Boyd County. Hoefer said the Warriors missed several key serves that led to a momentum switch, allowing Boyd County to power back from a five-point deficit to take the lead in the first set. 

Mirissa Hurtig led the team in kills with four while Keetle had three kills, nine digs, three ace serves and three set assists. Knutson picked up eight digs, as did libero Kelsey Green.

Hoefer said playing Boyd County was a good place to start to see where the team stands and provided many areas the Warriors need to improve.

"Our players are still trying to get the chemistry on the court and that comes with repetition and a lot of playing time," she said. 

Neligh-Oakdale (1-1) will be back in action Tuesday at Elkhorn Valley (1-1). The Warriors will not host a match until Oct. 2, making the road trip to Tilden the nearest opportunity for fans to see the team for a month.

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