They did it! Mainstreeters volleyball knocks off B-B-E in five games tonight

Kendra Zenzen goes up for a kill in game four tonight...

For the second year in a row, the Sauk Centre vs. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa border battle on the volleyball court went the distance in five games. Tonight in Belgrade, the Mainstreeters snapped a three-match losing streak to the Jaguars in a 3-2 in after taking game five 15-9.

Last season in the 2010 opener at Sauk Centre, the Jaguars prevailed in a five-game barn burner with a 15-10 win in the fifth game.

It was quite fitting that game one opened with both teams trading punches at eachother's throat, as Macy Weller and Brittany Roelike both ripped off sharp-looking kills to start it out tied 1-1. An incredible 15 ties followed that in game one at 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6 and 7-7...and then at 9-9, 10-10, 11-11, 12-12, 15-15, 16-16, 17-17, 19-19 and 20-20. That's 16 ties! The Mainstreeters pulled away for a 25-22 win in the opening game with three kills, a double block and a B-B-E hit out of bounds.

Check out a video just uploaded at the Sauk Herald website featuring the opening moments of tonight's border battle:
http://saukherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=94&SubSectionID=381&NewsVideoID=13

Here's another video clip...the end of the very close game one...


Up next: Coming on Tuesday night (tomorrow) is basically the West Central North Conference championship, in which the Mainstreeters will travel to crosstown rival Melrose Area for a 7:30 p.m. match. The Dutchmen have a shot at tying Sauk Centre for the lead in the WCCN, while the Mainstreeters can all but lock up at least a share for the title if they beat Melrose.

It's exciting to see such great volleyball play out weeks before the postseason begins.

~RO