Wolfpack Take Part In Jamboree At State Fair

The season kicks off on Thursday for a Wolfpack team determined to improve on last year’s third-place finish. This past weekend, they got a strong preseason test on a big stage.

Elgin Public/Pope John’s girls took part in the Bill Marshall Classic at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island. They took on Giltner and Diller-Odell in two-set exhibition matches.

Against Giltner, the Wolfpack split with the Hornets 25-21 and 20-25. Grace Henn led the Wolfpack attack, finishing with five kills, followed by three each from Paige Meis and Kaylee Martinsen. Allyson Wemhoff and Nicki Payne each added a kill of their own. Calli Krebs was impressive moving the ball around, finishing with 11 assists. Defensively, Lydia Behnk finished with two blocks.

Against Diller-Odell, the Wolfpack also battled to a split, 25-20 and 21-25. Henn was again very strong, this time recording 10 kills. Behnk added five and Meis put down four of her own. Krebs and Payne both put in lots of work moving the ball, recording 11 and seven assists, respectively. Martinsen came in strong defensively, leading the way with three blocks. Behnk added two and Henn added another. Meis recorded the lone ace in the game for EPPJ.

​“Playing our games at the state fair was a great time,” said coach Tina Thiele-Blecher. “Playing at the Heartland Event Center was a great atmosphere for the girls and they treated the girls with a great overall experience throughout the whole day. Really, it was even a good bonding time for the team.”