Lady Vikes improve to 8-3 on the season
Alan Dale Wausa Gazette
Wausa — The Wausa volleyball renaissance continued last week with two wins in three matches to move to 8-3 overall.
The Lady Vikings defeated Plainview 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-18) and Wakefield 2-1 (22-25, 25-18, 25-11) and fell in a tight contest against Hartington-Newcastle 2-1 (20-25, 25-16, 25-22). “We felt pretty good about the week, playing solid against all three teams,” coach Greg Conn said. “We had a great match against Hartington- Newcastle and led at the end 22-21 but had a couple of glitches Hartington- Newcastle capitalized on to win the match. We know we belong at the next level but now we have to prove we can win at the next level.” Alexa Cunnington (seven kills, four blocks), Morgan Kleinschmit (sevenkills), Hunter West (six kills, 11 digs) and Clara Schindler (30 assists) paced the Wausa win over Plainview. West and Cunningham each had eight kills against Wakefield while the latter added four blocks and the former led the way with 13 digs. Schindler added 28 assists. In the Hartington-Newcastle defeat, West had nine kills, Cunningham and Kleinschmit added six apiece and Brooke Kumm had five kills. West had 18 digs, Cunningham added four blocks and Schindler contributed 27 assists. “We are just a day by day program,” Conn said. “With what’s going around us with teams having to quarantine and getting close to tournament time, it starts to wear on you and your kids. So far, we have been lucky but were unable to play Niobrara/Verdigre last week because their team had to quarantine.“It’s starting to get a little un-nerving because we are getting close to sub-districts and so we are just trying to do the best we can to mitigate and keep it away from our team.” This next week the Lady Vikings battle Osmond Monday while Thursday they are home to host a triangular against CWC and EPPJ.“I very much like what I am seeing from our kids right now,” Conn said. “We have
been down five to six points and have found ways to dig out and win sets. This team has a lot of grit and the team chemistry is getting stronger and stronger each week out.”
One of those players that continue to impress is junior libero Leah Bloomquist. “She came to me early this summer and wanted to know if moving to the libero position would be a good ideaand I told her absolutely because we
had graduated our libero from last year,” Conn said. “Leah worked very hard over the summer in the weight room and during workouts in the gym and because of this, it has paid dividends, not only for herself but has been very consistent as a libero for us.”Bloomquist’s e n e r g y a n d enthusiasm is also a bonus.
“When we get a kill, especially after she makes a great serve receivepass or great dig she just explodes with enthusiasm and it is very contagious onthe court for all of
the girls,” Conn said. “Sometimes she gets down on herself because she is a perfectionist but when the chips are down, I always ask herwhy are you wearing the yellow shirt – the libero color - she smiles and says
because ‘I am the libero.’ “I have all of the confidence in herin the back row and time and time again when we need a great pass or dig, I cancount on her to make things happen.” Bloomquist, a former outside hitter,
volunteered to play libero because her sophomore year she saw her biggest improvement in passing and felt that is where she would best benefit the team in that area.
“I liked the feeling of getting a really good dig and that was the highlight of my game and I wanted to do thatmore,” she said. “I improved and I knew I could do more. I have been a big fan of Husker volleyball and had
been to libero and setter camps and fell in love with it more or more the past two or three years.” Bloomquist admits she is an outgoing person and hasenjoyed making people laugh and enjoy the moment of playing in sports and celebrating victories.
“ E v e r y o n e will have more fun playing the sport if you hype each other up,” she said. “That’s why I get so excited when we do good. This year we havemore team chemistry and it’s a lot easier tocelebrate with eachother.”
The perfectionistaspect of her personality does notcome from pushy parents or anythingextreme, but more so because Bloomquist has been driven to do even the little things well. “All my coaches have emphasized doing the little things right and making things work,” Bloomquist said. “If I mess up, I am like “Ahh, I know I am good at this, I know I am doing this, why am I messing up?’ In sports and my grades, I have always wanted to dothe best that I can do.
“My parents always wanted me to do what made me happy and they would support me through it. It just came naturally to have that drive.”
Wausa 25 16 22
Hartington 20 25 25
KILLS Wausa - Hunter West, 9; Morgan
Kleinschmit, 6; Alexa Cunningham, 6;
Brooke Kumm, 5; Ali Lundberg, 1.
ACE SERVES Wausa - Hunter West, 2; Jade
Kaiser, 2; Clara Schindler, 1.
BLOCKS Wausa - Alexa Cunningham,
4; Ali Lundberg, 3; Brooke
Kumm, 3; Morgan Kleinschmit, 2;
Hunter West, 2.
DIGS Wausa - Hunter West,
18; Morgan Kleinschmit, 4; Leah
Bloomquist, 4; Brooke Kumm, 4;
Clara Schindler, 2; Jade Kaiser, 1;
Abrielle Nelson, 1; Abby Kaiser, 1,
SET ASSISTS Wausa - Clara
Schindler, 27.
Wausa 25 25 25
Plainview 19 15 18
KILLS Wausa - Morgan Kleinschmit,
7; Alexa Cunningham, 7;
Hunter West, 6; Ali Lundberg, 5;
Abrielle Nelson, 3; Brooke Kumm,
3; Clara Schindler, 1.
ACE SERVES Wausa - Hunter
West, 2; Morgan Kleinschmit, 2;
Clara Schindler, 2; Ali Lundberg, 1.
BLOCKS Wausa - Alexa Cunningham,
4; Morgan Kleinschmit, 2.
DIGS Wausa - Hunter West, 11;
Morgan Kleinschmit, 9; Brooke
Kumm, 7; Clara Schindler, 7; Leah
Bloomquist, 6; Abrielle Nelson, 5;
Charlie Price, 4; Abby Kaiser, 2.
SET ASSISTS Wausa - Clara
Schindler, 30; Ali Lundber, 2.
Wausa 25 18 25
Wakefield 22 25 11
KILLS Wausa - Alexa Cunningham,
8; Hunter West, 8; R Bloomquist, 4;
Brooke Kumm, 4; Ali Lundberg, 4.
ACE SERVES Wausa - R
Bloomquist, 2; Abrielle Nelson, 1;
Clara Schindler, 1; J Kaiser, 1; Leah
Bloomquist, 1.
BLOCKS Wausa - Alexa Cunningham,
4; Morgan Kleinschmit, 2; Ali
Lundberg, 2; R. Bloomquist, 2; Brooke
Kumm, 1; Hunter West, 1.
DIGS Wausa - Hunter West, 13; Clara
Schindler, 10; Abby Kaiser, 9; Leah
Bloomquist, 6; R Bloomquist, 2; Morgan
Kleinschmit, 2; Abrielle Nelson, 1; Brooke
Kumm, 1.
SET ASSISTS
Wausa - Clara Schindler, 28.
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