The Sundance volleyball team traveled to Wright this past weekend to participate in the 2A Regional Volleyball Tournament. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, their 2023 season came to a close in the double elimination tournament.
Opening play against the number one team from the southeast, the Burns Broncs, Sundance found their footing, taking one set away from the team but ultimately falling 3-1.
Dropping down in the bracket, the Bulldogs were then up against Lingle Ft Laramie. Going another four sets, the Bulldogs came out on top, taking the first, third and fourth set. With this win, Sundance was then pitted against an all too familiar foe, the Tongue River Eagles.
It was the final showdown for these two teams with the winner advancing to the state tournament. Tongue River took a quick 25-15 win in the first set. Despite a slow start, the Sundance team was able to rally and take sets two and three away from the Eagles.
Tongue River then returned with renewed vigor throughout sets four and five and took the 3-2 overall victory, advancing to the state tournament.
The Lady Bulldogs ended their season with a 15-15-1 overall record. Head coach Chelsey Blasczyk reflected on the regional tournament and the season with the following:
“This season is one I will remember because this is such an amazing group of young women. By regionals they were able to keep working through tough sets and show a grit that we had been trying to find all season. These experiences will only help them grow stronger and more determined for future seasons, which I hope will result in greater successes with this young group. We will greatly miss our senior leaders who made this season so fun.”
Stats
SHS vs. Burns: 16-25, 25-13, 24-26, 18-25
Aspen Jones: 2 kills, 4 aces, 13 digs
Lexie Marchant: 6 kills, 1 block, 4 aces, 12 digs
Isabelle Curren: 1 assist, 1 block, 3 digs
Blakely Gill: 1 ace, 17 digs
Annika Haugen: 8 digs, 22 assists
Hailey Karol: 1 ace, 6 digs, 7 kills, 1 block
Jaylin Mills: 1 ace, 13 digs, 20 kills, 5 assists, 2 blocks
Karly Marchant: 5 digs
SHS vs. Lingle Ft. Laramie: 25-17, 21-25, 25-17, 25-16
Jones: 1 ace, 9 digs, 8 kills, 1 block
L.Marchant: 1 ace, 9 digs, 6 kills
Curren: 1 dig, 1 block
Gill: 3 aces, 18 digs
Haugen: 2 aces, 9 digs, 27 assists, 2 kills, 2 blocks
Karol: 2 aces, 9 digs, 4 kills, 8 blocks
Mills: 2 aces, 26 kills, 9 assists, 2 blocks, 7 digs
K.Marchant: 6 digs
SHS vs. Tongue River: 25-15, 18-25,13-25, 25-16, 10-15
Jones: 2 aces, 14 digs, 5 kills
L.Marchant: 1 ace, 10 digs, 6 kills, 1 block
Curren: 1 dig
Gill: 2 aces, 8 digs, 1 kill
Haugen: 4 aces, 15 digs, 22 assists, 1 block
Karol: 2 digs, 5 kills, 2 blocks
Mills: 2 aces, 12 digs, 17 kills, 7 assists, 2 blocks
K.Marchant: 3 digs
Arianna Neiman: 1 kill