Bronco volleyball splits with DCS, MHC

    Last week’s opponents of the Wauneta-Palisade volleyball team were on different ends of the win-loss spectrum.
    The Broncos opened the week with a win over 0-21 Dundy County Stratton but fell at 17-2 Maywood/Hayes Center.
    WP hosted DCS for Senior Night Sept. 28.
    It took time for both teams to settle in to the match.
    The first set was tied at nine when Cali Cox led WP on a seven-point run that included three ace serves.
    Halle Bardsley followed, increasing the Broncos’ lead to seven points, 20-13.
    Alexa Sandman finished off the Tigers with the set’s final five points in the 25-15 win.
    DCS could only string two points together once in the second set.
    Ace serves by Bardsley and Izabelle Stehno helped WP roll to a 25-8 win.
    The Broncos had a let down in the third set, falling behind 0-6 right off the bat and never being able to rally. WP dropped the set 22-25.
    WP got back on track with a dominant 25-10 win in the fourth set. The Broncos led 21-8 after the first time through the rotation and never looked back.
    Peyton Cox led WP with 15 kills.
    The Broncos racked up 19 service aces, including six by Sandman and five by C. Cox.
    It was a different story Thursday night in Hayes Center.
    The Class D2 fifth-ranked Wolves were hitting on all cylinders in the first set.
    WP trailed 1-9 at one point but cut that lead to 8-13. A late set run by MHC left WP with the 17-25 loss.
    The Broncos got off to a better start in the second set. The game was within one point, WP trailed 6-7, before MHC rattled off nine-straight points. With no answers, the Broncos dropped the set 13-25.
    WP’s best set of the night came in the third.
    The Broncos contained the Wolves serving runs and kept the set close. WP stayed within two points up to 10-12. MHC bought itself some breathing room with a three-point run, but wasn’t able to shake the Broncos. WP came back to tie the match at 17. MHC took a three-point lead late in the set that WP couldn’t overcome in the 21-25 loss.
    C. Cox had 10 kills to lead the Broncos.
    P. Cox had four aces in the match.
Up next
    The Broncos were in Grant Tuesday evening for a triangular with Perkins County (11-8) and Garden County (17-5).
    Homecoming celebrations will be held Friday evening with a volleyball/football doubleheader against Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (16-4). The JV game will begin at 3 p.m. MT.
    Next Tuesday WP will host Medicine Valley (7-9).
    Getting wins in upcoming games will be vital for the Broncos. The top two seeds in each division host the first rounds of the RPAC tournament Oct. 25 before the semifinals, championship and consolation matches at McCook Community College’s Graff Events Center Oct. 26.
    WP currently leads Hitchcock County for the second seed in the West division with a slightly better record. In the point standings, WP leads the Falcons 43.2353 to 40.8333.
    The tournament is setting up to be a good one. Alma, Cambridge and Southwest are ranked seventh, eighth and ninth in Class D1. Each is in the top ten of the point standings.
    Bertrand is sixth in Class D2 and joins WP and MHC in the top ten of the point standings.