Rochester stops being ‘safe,’ beats Culver Academy in 4, improves to 7-1

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

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Adalyn Gonzalez Jenna Seuferer

CULVER — All the hard work the Rochester volleyball team had done to build a 23-18 lead in the fourth set of its match against host Culver Academy at Fleet Gymnasium Thursday might have been crumbling.

Culver Academy had scored four straight points to cut the lead to 23-22, which included a stuff block from Lydia Kershner and a back row kill from strong-armed Hayley Chapman.

Culver Academy’s Barrett Brady serves at Rochester senior defensive specialist Rilyn Strasser. Instead of traveling in the direction of setter Aubrey Wilson as intended, Strasser’s 13th serve received floated hopelessly over the net.

Culver Academy junior Lydia Kershner was there to put it away. Except she missed and smashed the ball into the net.

Instead of 23-all and a stomach-knotting finish, Rochester had a match point at 24-22.

Brailyn Hunter then ended the match with a crosscourt kill on the next point, and the Lady Zs had a 25-20, 19-25, 25-13, 25-22 win to improve to 7-1. Perhaps even more impressively, Rochester had their first win over the Lady Eagles since 2019.

Freshman Makayla Walley had 12 kills, Hunter had 11 kills, and Adalyn Gonzalez had eight.

Amara Wieringa had seven kills, 14 digs and 19 serves received, and senior libero Logyn Honkomp had 12 digs and 18 serves received.

Aubrey Wilson had five kills, two aces, 40 assists, 11 digs and two blocks.

“I think the turning point was that they stopped hitting to be safe,” Rochester coach Laneia Strasser said. “They started hitting to win. You know, they can’t play timid. You can’t play easy. You’ve got to play hard, and you’ve got to play hard for all 25 points, and the hitters did that.

“The back row, they had some tremendous digs all night. There’s really not a whole lot you can complain about this game other than set two, we let them go on too long of a run.”

The third set was tied 4-4 when a Sylvia McCall kill, a Wilson stuff block and a Hunter ace sparked a 5-1 run.

“I think that we just knew that we needed to step it up and finish the game strong and try our best,” Hunter said.

Hunter is in her fourth year on the varsity, and she said her experience is playing off.

“I think just with experience, I’ve just gotten more knowledge on where to place the ball in certain situations,” Hunter said.

They went on another 5-0 run in the set that included a Gonzalez kill, a Hunter kill set up by two Kyra Doran digs, a Lilah Treber back row kill error for Culver Academy, a McCall stuff block and a Doran service winner. The lead was 20-9, and Rochester would eventually assume a 2-1 lead.

Rochester went on a 9-1 run in the fourth set to turn a 13-10 deficit into a 19-14 lead. That run included a Hunter kill, a Walley tip and a Wilson dump and a Culver Academy net violation.

Two kills from Walley, a Wieringa kill and a Hunter tip got the lead to 23-18.

But Culver Academy had one more run.

“They got the momentum on their side, and then after you get an overpass and a big swing on it … that was a huge momentum changer and a win in our direction thankfully.”

Rochester played without junior middle hitter Maddie Bailon, who suffered a left knee injury against Triton Aug. 24. Bailon was spotted at the gym walking under her own power.

Rochester also won the JV match 25-14, 25-13 to improve to 4-4.

Rochester def. Culver Academy, 25-20, 19-25, 25-13, 25-22

Rochester stats

Logyn Honkomp – 1 point, 18 serves received, 2 assists, 12 digs; Makayla Walley – 1 point, 12 kills, 3 blocks, 1 dig; Kyra Doran – 4 points, 1 ace, 2 digs; Emma Mathias – 3 serves received, 1 assist, 12 digs; Adalyn Gonzalez – 8 kills, 2 serves received, 2 blocks, 4 digs; Rilyn Strasser – 13 serves received, 2 assists, 5 digs; Aubrey Wilson – 14 points, 2 aces, 5 kills, 2 blocks, 40 assists, 11 digs; Sylvia McCall – 5 kills,1 block; Brailyn Hunter – 5 points, 1 ace, 11 kills, 8 serves received, 2 digs; Amara Wieringa – 7 points, 7 kills, 19 serves received, 1 block, 2 assists, 14 digs; KayLea McCarty – 7 points, 1 ace; Jenna Seuferer – 9 points