Volleyball season opener goes to the visiting B-B-E Jaguars, Mainstreeters go down in epic battle that lasts five games

The Mainstreeters celebrate an ace attack earned by senior Kourtney Nelson in game one of tonight's match against B-B-E.

It certainly had its share of rally-filled drama, as tonight's season-opening volleyball match played out at Sauk Centre High School. The host Mainstreeters volleyball team blasted the B-B-E Jaguars in games two and four by double digits, but it was the rubber match that counted as the visiting Blue and Silver won the deciding set 15-10.

It was the first five-set match that these two teams have tussled in since the 2002 season, when the Mainstreeters earned a 3-2 win over the visiting Jaguars in a regular season match up.

• Game one: B-B-E 25, Sauk Centre 22

The Mainstreeters started out on the right foot, receiving the first serve from B-B-E and passing it to sophomore setter Jena Klaphake, who set it up for senior middle hitter Shelby Deters. Deters dropped it down for a kill and a quick 1-0 lead.

After the Jaguars scored two straight points, outside hitter Emily Petermeier dropped a kill from the left side to tie it at 2-2.

The Jaguars then went on a small run, jumping in front 6-2 before junior middle hitter Kali Peschel earned her first kill of the night to earn the side out. The Mainstreeters fought for two more points to make it 7-5 before the Jaguars pulled away for five-point leads on two occasions.

The Mainstreeters fought back within one point, making it 15-14 after an ace serve by junior setter Alexis Berscheit. The Jaguars pulled ahead to a three-point lead at 17-14, but the Mainstreeters kept within striking distance up to game point.

A kill by junior outside hitter Krista Primus made it 19-18, and every time the Jaguars got up by two the Mainstreeters closed it to one point, up to a 23-22 deficit. A hitting error and then a kill by Jaguars' outside hitter Taylor Braegelman gave the first set to B-B-E.

• Game two: Sauk Centre comes alive for a 25-11 win

An ace serve from sophomore middle hitter Macy Weller and a kill from Kali Peschel jump started a big run for the Mainstreeters in the early going of game one.

Up to an 8-1 lead the only blemish was a service error that broke a 4-0 run to start game two, as Sauk Centre jumped all over the Jaguars. A block from senior outside hitter Kourtney Nelson, an ace serve by Berscheit, and a block from Peschel put the Maroon up 8-1.

The Jaguars then fired up to score three straight points, but the Mainstreeters kept their composure and widened the lead after that. An ace serve from sophomore outside hitter Kendra Zenzen made it 11-4.

The Mainstreeters went on a tear in this clip during game two, going on a 6-0 run that put them ahead 16-6.


The Mainstreeters' lead grew to double digits, with a Peschel kill fueling a 6-0 run that ended with a block by Weller for a 17-6 lead. The Jaguars scored two straight before a kill from Nelson started a 7-2 run that brought the Maisntreeters to game point. A block from Peschel made it 24-10 and the junior middle then closed out the game with a kill.

• Momentum switches again as B-B-E takes game three 25-22

The Jaguars came out fired up in the next set, as they quickly put game two behind them. A Mainstreeters' hitting error gave B-B-E a side out and a 1-0 lead, as the Jaguars pulled in front 6-1, with the lone Sauk Centre point coming on a kill by Peschel.

After the Jaguars led by as much as 11-4, sophomore setter Jena Klaphake served up four straight points for Sauk Centre. The Mainstreeters got within two, down 12-10, but B-B-E then pulled away for leads of 20-11 and 21-12.

After facing a 24-15 lead and sitting on the brink of dropping the set, the Mainstreeters picked up an ace serve from Primus and went on a run of their own. A block from Deters kept the rally going, and out of a Jaguars' timeout, Primus served up another ace to get within four, down 24-20.

The Mainstreeters closed the gap to two points before the Jaguars' Braegelman dropped down a kill for game point and a 2-1 lead in games in favor of B-B-E.

• Sauk Centre evens the match with a big 25-14 win in game four

Capitalizing on two early Jaguars' errors, the Mainstreeters bounced back to take an early 4-1 lead in game four with a tip kill by Petermeier.

The Jaguars clawed back, closing the gap to one point at 7-6. It was the closes they got, however, as the Mainstreeters went on a 9-2 run to take control. Another Primus ace serve, a kill from Deters, and a huge ace block from Nelson kept the Maroon in the driver's seat.

After the Jaguars closed the gap to 20-14, the Maroon scored five unanswered points for the 25-14 win.

• Mainstreeters' 8-7 lead after an early deficit vanishes as the Jaguars pull away for a 15-10 win in the deciding set

Peschel continued to read the blocks and earned kills to tie the fifth set at 1-1 and 2-2 in the early going, but the Jaguars pulled ahead for a 5-2 lead.

A Jaguars' net violation brought Peschel to the service line, where she served three points to force a 5-5 tie. After the Jaguars' Shyan Kuefler earned a kill, Weller fired off an ace attack of her own for a 6-6 tie.

The Jaguars went up 7-6 before Deters shot down two straight ace attacks to give the Mainstreeters an 8-7 lead. It was short lived, however, as the Jaguars came out fired up from a time out and forced a tie, then took a 10-8 lead on two straight Braegelman attacks.

Still in the front row, Deters earned a fiery cross court kill to make it 10-9. The Jaguars then earned two ace attacks from Braegelman and Gruber, forcing Coach Klaphake to call a timeout.

A Jaguars' net violation made it 12-10, but the Maroon were vanquished with three unanswered points by B-B-E, including the final two coming from a kill and an ace block from Gruber for match point.

Sauk Centre's serve-receive was impressive, as they allowed only one Jaguar ace serve the entire night. Peschel and Deters led the Maroon's offense with 20 kills and 10 kills, respectively. Primus was perfect from the serving line, going 16-of-16 with a match-high five ace serves.

The Mainstreeters have all next week for just practice, as their next action is the following week on Tuesday, September 7, when they open West Central North Conference action at St.Cloud Cathedral.

~RO