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Lady Cards end season after subdistrict marathon match

RANDOLPH — Hoping to make noise at the D2-4 subdistrict tournament, the Randolph Lady Cardinals battled to the end, but could not progress out of the field and saw their season end last week.

Randolph wrapped up a 12-16 campaign with a 3-2 (25-23, 27-29, 25-22, 21-25, 15- 9) defeat to No. 2 Riverside in the subdistrict semifinal.

Junior Bailey Beal had a tremendous match with 26 kills and 11 blocks while Jacey Bartels (seven kills), Erin Engel (34 assists, five aces), Emma Munter (five blocks) and newly-minted libero Ella Scott (15 digs) led Randolph in the match.

“The team really played well in the last game against Riverside, it was a great match with two even teams that was back and forth the whole night, they just made a few more plays at the right times,” Randolph head coach Rob Engel said. “It was our season in a nutshell: We had a lead early in the first set and then they got back in the game, and we just couldn’t get the points at the end to pull away. Bailey had a huge game with 26 and she was playing great at the net, but a key was that we were really able to get the ball to Erin as the setter to get the ball to where it needed to go consistently. “Part of that was the play of Ella at libero -

“Part of that was the play of Ella at libero - we had to switch her to that spot after losing Grace Nordhues to injury in the last game of the conference tournament. Ella really took to the libero spot and did a great job back there with limited practice time.”

Coach Engel also noted the performance of Ryanne Winkelbauer who played the DS spot vacated by Ariel Fye who moved to the outside to replace Scott after her move to libero.

“No one wants to lose obviously, but that was probably the best we played all season,” Erin Engel said. “The result does stink, but our big thing was to leave it all out there. A lot of us didn’t get to finish because the quarantine was a big thing. It was an even match up and if we played them again, it could go either way. It was a good game.

“It was better because last year we still have the ‘what if’ we were still healthy and played? We are all super glad we got to finish it out and try to do our best and see what happens.”

There was the normal drama for the Lady Cardinals on the court, but nothing like the craziness of the COVID-19 season a year ago.

“We had a lot going on in the last week of practice,” Rob Engel said. “The season was really up and down, we had a great showing at the Elkhorn Valley tournament, but weren’t able to carry the momentum into some games late in the season. It was really a season of close games against good competition that could have gone either way, but we were often a little short.”

Hopefully the lessons will be learned from the ups and downs the Lady Cardinals dealt with for nearly three months.

“Some of the highs were getting Jacey and Ella more experience and it was a good way for them to get ready for next year,” Erin Munter said. “Me and Bailey have been playing varsity together since we were freshmen and its our time to really push, not just each other, but the whole team to become better.

“Bailey can hit the buffet – she can hit anywhere on the net.”

Munter, Fye, Winkelbauer and Nordhues will be lost to graduation, but a lot of bigtime scorers will be back.

“We really return a good core of experienced players heading into next season,” Rob Engel said. “We will likely have a couple four-year starters in Bailey and Erin, and some really good experience coming back with Brianna Sporleder, Ella, and Jacey. We will need some of our younger players to develop to be able to jump in and help us out next season.”

Beal ended the season with 244 kills and 85 blocks, Erin Engel compiled 468 assists and 38 aces, she kicked up 230 digs and Scott pitched in with 195 digs.

Of course, the coach can’t forget the contributions of his seniors.

“This senior class was a great bunch of kids,” he said. “They worked hard and always gave 100 percent. They were good leaders on and off the court and we will miss them and all they brought to the team these last four years.”

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