Lady Cardinals put together a 2-1 week
Alan Dale
Randolph Times
RANDOLPH — Things are getting interesting for the volleyball season as it winds down and teams are jockeying for prime postseason leverage.
One of those teams – the Randolph Lady Cardinals – went 2-1 last week by beating Creighton 3-1 (25-22, 25-13, 20-25, 25-21) and Bloomfield 2-1 (16-25, 25-23, 25-20) and falling to Winside 2-0 (25-21, 25-21) to stand 11-8 overall and 1-1 in district competition.
“Against Creighton, we started slow but came on strong to win the first set, then really played at our best in the second set to win big,” Randolph head coach Rob Engel said. “We need to do a better job of closing out matches when we have leads and not have those mental let downs that keep teams in the game when we are ahead.
“Saturday we again came out slow and lost the first set to Bloomfield, we made a lot of unforced errors and they capitalized. We fought back in the second set and were able to take control late in the match to come away with a win. Against Winside, they played a great defensive game as they always do, and we weren’t able to make enough big plays to get things rolling like we are capable.”
Bailey Beal (11 kills, four blocks), Keely Pinkelman (six kills), Jaiden Taylor (six kills, 15 digs), Abby Schmit (five aces, 16 assists) and Erin Engel (13 assists) sparked the win over Creighton.
In beating Bloomfield, Taylor (eight kills), Beal (seven kills, three blocks), Natalie Munter (seven kills) and Erin Engel (12 assists) came up with pivotal performances.
Beal had five kills and three blocks in the Winside loss.
The sophomore setter Erin Engel has found a way to continue bringing up her team from a key position on the floor while playing under the watchful eye of her father – the team’s coach.
“Erin has done a great job this year putting the ball where the hitters need it and making good decisions,” Rob Engel said. “She is a really reliable server and makes serves at a really high percentage. Last year she went through a learning curve adjusting to high school ball but this year she has been able to focus on the details that make her and the team better.”
Engel admits that being a younger setter for older players has its challenges while also trying to do so with her father barking instructions at her.
It was high rolling for the younger Engel as she moved into the starting rotation as a freshman.
“When you first come in and your dad is the coach, not everyone is extremely happy, but this year we definitely got down and really bonded really well,” Erin said. “We all pick each other up a lot. If I miss sets, they are like, ‘It’s OK,’ and if it’s their error they say, ‘My bad.’ It’s a lot better this year. They really didn’t want to put up with the freshman last year. Now we are a lot more comfortable with each other and talk a lot more with each other outside of volleyball.
“(Playing for her dad) has its pros. We talk a lot about volleyball at home – reading the papers and seeing the games online. It’s also got a lot of cons, when you have a bad game, it sometimes rubs off on home a little bit. Sometimes I have to be like ‘Can I talk to coach quick,” or “Can I talk to Dad really quick?’ We have good communication. My life doesn’t just revolve around volleyball. We are both major Chicago Cubs fans.”
Erin Engel feels the love more now as her presence has become a welcome expectation.
“We have all earned each other’s respect on the court,” she said. “I wasn’t just given this spot and the girls know I am here to work. I am here to do what I can to help the team.”
This week Randolph hosted Hartington-Newcastle Tuesday and that would be the only action for the Lady Cardinals.
See LADY CARDS, Page 5
“We are a bit of a rollercoaster: When we play well, we have proven to be pretty good, but we also have some games where things don’t click and we make too many errors to win close sets,” Coach Engel said. “We feel like we’ve really shot ourselves in the foot at times this year.”
The one thing that keeps them going is the idea they may finish the season despite playing amid a pandemic that has changed sports as the nation and the world knows them.
“Things are getting closer in terms of cases in our area and we have seen other area teams have games postponed recently,” Coach Engel said. “We will try to stay focused on playing our best and being careful with mask wearing and distancing to avoid any issues with our season.”
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