ATHLETICS FIND THEIR GROOVE

The Lyle-Pacelli volleyball team has had to adjust to playing without one of its top hitters this season, but the Athletics found their groove when they swept Randolph (3-13 overall, 2-8 SEC) by scores of 25-23, 25-19, 25-14 in Pacelli Tuesday.

Brooke Walter gave LP a boost early on as she started the first set with five straight ace serves and she also served five straight points in the third set. Walter had a key kill that put LP up 24-22 in the first set and Abby Bollingberg had the clinching kill in that set. Walter finished with six ace serves in the win to go with her 15 set assists.

“I’d get one serve down and then my team cheered me up,” Walter said. “The more I kept going, I kept serving it harder and harder. I got in the flow of it.”

LP (8-7 overall, 6-4 SEC) which may be without sophomore hitter Lucy Nelson for the rest of the season, has had to shuffle the lineup this season. But that hasn’t dampened the spirits of the team.

“Everyone’s been working really hard and we’ve stayed aggressive,” said freshman Olivia Christianson, who had seven kills and three ace serves.

LP was able to stay competitive throughout Tuesday’s match and head coach Lauren Cost hopes thats a good sign as the season winds down to the stretch run. “We still have a lot of room for improvement, but I’m fairly pleased with where we’re at right now,” Cost said. “Randolph’s a good team. They throw up a nice block and they dig well. It was a good challenge for us.”

LP stats: Abby Bollingberg, 7 set assists; Bethany Strouf, 9 kills, 2 blocks; Brooke Walter, 15 set assists, 6 ace serves; Faith King, 9 digs; Grace Einck, 2 kills; Kendal Truckenmiller, 7 digs; Olivia Christianson, 7 kills, 3 ace serves