The Big Sandy Pioneers’ varsity volleyball squad collected its first victory on the road in District 7C play Friday in Hays before dropping a hard-fought match Saturday at Chester.
The Pioneers won their second match of the season much as they did their first: convincingly.
Big Sandy swept away the host Thunderbirds of Hays-Lodge Pole 25-17, 25-18, 25-23.
The Pioneers’ previous win had been in straight sets on their home floor against Box Elder.
Big Sandy got another strong performance from Alicia Bjornestad, the team leader with 10 assists and co-leader with Amiya Griffith for the match in scoring 4 aces. Cadence Pleninger had a team-high 6 kills. Griffith recorded the team’s sole block and Tavie Wortman had three of the team’s 12 digs.
The Chester-Joplin-Inverness Hi-Line Hawks had motivation to come out firing on all cylinders when the Pioneers paid them a visit during the weekend. Big Sandy upset the Hawks in the district tournament last season in their Cinderella run to the divisional round.
C-J-I prevailed 25-11, 25-18, 19-25, 26-28, holding on against a Pioneer effort that came on stronger as the match developed.
Griffith recorded a team-high 7 kills and 2 aces. Griffith, Pleninger and Angie Sant each contributed a block in the defensive effort. Wortman’s 8 digs led the team and Bjornestad again reached double figures with 10 assists.
The Pioneers (2-6) get their first rematch of 2020 in their next outing Saturday at North Star in Rudyard. The Knights left Big Sandy with a 3-0 sweep in the first week of the season but had to sweat the first and final sets to do it. The road trip gives this year’s edition of the Pioneer volleyball squad their first opportunity to play in the venue that will host the district tournament in the postseason. Big Sandy is slated to continue the road stretch Oct. 1 at Chinook before returning home Oct. 3 for a 6 p.m. tilt with Dutton/Brady.
