The Sturgis Scooper volleyball team outlasted Spearfish on Tuesday night at West Gym, beating the Spartans three sets to one.
In set one, both teams battled back and forth and the score was knotted up at 13-13 midway through the set. Sturgis went on a 7-0 run and led 24-15. The Spartans rattled off a few points but the Scoopers held on for a 25-18 set one victory.
Spearfish took a 19-11 lead in set two, but Sturgis battled back and took a 24-23 lead. The Spartans regained their composure and took set two, 26-24.
Spearfish kept the momentum early in set three and led 8-0, but the Scoopers fought back to tie the set at 19-19. The teams traded points and the Spartans looked like they would win the pivotal set, leading 24-23, but Sturgis showed no quit and stole set three, 28-26.
The Scoopers played with relaxed energy in set four and led 11-2, but the Spartans kept feeding their front line of Addison Keller and Finley Bouman. The outside hitters brought Spearfish back and tied the set at 21-21. Sturgis edged ahead and led 22-21 when Scooper senior Danica Dschaak took over from the service line and finished the match with three straight aces to give Sturgis a 25-21 win and the match victory.
“I just told Danica to serve like normal and she did,” said Sturgis head coach Sharon Peterson. “(Dschaak) just went back there confident and finished it out for us, that was a great way to end it.”
The Scoopers are now 6-7 on the season and have won five of their last six matches. It was a huge win for the Sturgis volleyball team during homecoming week.
“(The team) treats this as our Homecoming game, of course, and they wanted this win probably more than any win this whole season,” Peterson said.
The Scoopers are currently sitting in the #17 spot in power points and need to move into the top 16 to earn a spot in the postseason playoffs.
“Hopefully this win will help and I’m excited to play Rapid City Central, we go to Belle Fourche this Saturday for a tournament. Hopefully we will get some wins there too. Just keep climbing up, that’s what we we’ve got to do, just win these close ones,” Peterson said.
