‘Bol’ed over: Senior’s 16 kills help Rochester top Lewis Cass

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Audrey Bolinger

The Lewis Cass volleyball team appeared as if they might force a fourth set against host Rochester Tuesday before Audrey Bolinger took over.

Bolinger had 16 kills, and Aubrey Wilson had 12 points, two aces, 21 assists and 12 digs to lead the Rochester volleyball team to a 25-15, 25-16, 25-23 win over conference and sectional rival Lewis Cass at the RHS gym Tuesday.

Mia Howdeshell added 11 digs and nine serves received, and Rylee Clevenger had nine digs and eight serves received out of the back row. 

The win avenges a loss to Lewis Cass in Walton last year when the Lady Kings were in their first year in the Three Rivers Conference.

Rochester won without senior Darah Strasser, who was out sick. Coach Laneia Strasser said she thinks Darah will be back for Thursday’s match at Peru.

Meanwhile, the Lady Zs welcomed back senior Lillee Lett, back for the first time since Aug. 17 after recovering from a right lower leg injury.

Rochester trailed 23-21 in Game 3 before scoring the final four points. Bolinger started with a crosscourt kill from the outside. Then after Lewis Cass lunged after a Wilson serve to get it over the net on one, Bolinger finished with a two-handed deep tip to the back corner.

Then it was Bolinger again, hammering a kill from the middle off Lewis Cass middle hitter Brooklenn Kraner’s block.

Rochester had a match point.

Lett’s tip just over the top of the right side of the Lewis Cass front wall ended the match.

“I feel like we just got all of our energy together and knew we had to pull it through,” Bolinger said. “I feel like last year, we would have gotten down on ourselves and went into a fourth (set), but that just shows how much we have improved this year of finishing through and finishing it in three.”

Bolinger also spoke of her on-court relationship with Wilson, a sophomore setter.

“Me and Aubrey have really started to connect this year,” Bolinger said. “She’s a great setter. She always has been, and she’s really improved. She works so hard at her setting, and that has enabled us to really connect well.”

Coach Strasser said she only played Lett in the front row and not for all six rotations.

“We eased her into it,” coach Strasser said. “It definitely made a difference. I think the girls are confident that when Aubrey sets her that she’s going to get a kill and terminate a play for us when we need her to. They just feel comfortable and trust her a lot in the front row, and that’s always good. I eased her into it by just playing her front row tonight versus all the way around. … I don’t think she’s quite 110 percent healthy. … She’s not where she was before she had a couple games off.”

Coach Strasser said the team relied on its fundamentals in coming from back in the third set. They trailed that set 13-6 and 14-7 at two different points.

“The little things,” coach Strasser said. “I say the little things will take you out of the game. You’ve got to pass. You’ve got to go 110, and you’ve just got to do all the little things that we practice every day.”

Rochester went on a 9-1 run in the first set to open up an 11-3 lead. Brailyn Hunter starred with a kill to make it 7-3, a stuff block to make it 8-3 and another kill to finish the run. The Lady Zs also watched as Lewis Cass committed 10 service errors.

Lewis Cass led Set 2 9-5 at which point coach Strasser called timeout. Amara Wieringa responded with a lefty tip, an ace and a service winner. After two hitting errors, Rochester led 10-9. A Clevenger ace, two Bolinger kills and a Lett kill got the lead to 17-11. Another Bolinger kill and two Wilson aces made it 20-12. 

The more determined Lady Kings went on a 9-1 run in the third set to jump out 12-5.

Rochester also won the JV match 25-14, 25-13.

Rochester def. Lewis Cass, 25-15, 25-16, 25-23

Rochester stats

Ella Hake – 1 kill, 4 digs, 1 serve received; Avarie Montel – 1 kill, 2 blocks, 1 dig; Brailyn Hunter – 3 kills, 1 block, 2 digs, 3 serves received; Amara Wieringa – 3 kills, 2 aces, 4 digs, 6 serves received; Lillee Lett – 4 kills, 2 aces, 5 digs, 1 assist; Audrey Bolinger – 16 kills, 8 digs, 1 assist, 5 serves received; Rylee Clevenger – 1 ace, 9 digs, 8 serves received; Aubrey Wilson – 2 aces, 1 block, 12 digs, 21 assists; Makenna McKee – 1 dig, 3 serves received; Mia Howdeshell – 11 digs, 1 assist, 9 serves received; Logyn Honkomp – 1 serve received