Elise Parr
The Silver Lake volleyball team took on a tough stretch of Twin Valley Conference rivals last week. At the Loomis Tournament, they battled Franklin in the championship match. The following Tuesday, September 16, they traveled to Red Cloud to square off against the Warriors.
The Mustangs got off to a slow start, dropping the opening set 10–25, but they found their rhythm and stormed back to capture the next three sets 25–23, 25–21, and 25–15. The comeback was fueled by tenacious and aggressive defense, as the team recorded 100 digs collectively.
Senior Sophie Schmidt anchored the back row with 26 digs. Senior Kamille Karr contributed 20, and sophomore Libby Soucek collected 19. Seniors MaKenna Karr and Kerra Hofstetter bolstered the defense with 16 and 12 digs, respectively.
Running the offense, Soucek and Hofstetter distributed the ball efficiently, setting up hitters from all areas of the net. Soucek tallied 21 assists, while Hofstetter chipped in 13. Their top target of the night was MaKenna Karr, who pounded down 14 kills. Along with her assists and digs, Soucek also notched 8 kills. Kamille Karr and senior Karah Bartels each added 6 kills to the total.
From the service line, Hofstetter delivered 4 aces, while MaKenna Karr contributed 2 of her own, helping to seal the Mustangs’ comeback victory.
The following week, the team hit the court in an exciting four-set match against the Kenesaw Blue Devils. The Blue Devils won the first two sets 25–14 and 25–22, but the Mustangs fought back to take the third set 25–21 before falling just short in the fourth, 25–21.
Sophomore setter Libby Soucek had an impressive performance, recording 22 assists, 6 kills, and 3 aces. Senior Kerra Hofstetter also had a strong showing with 19 assists, 6 kills, and a team-leading 4 aces, along with 9 digs on defense.
Senior MaKenna Karr led the offense with 10 kills and added 20 digs on defense. Senior Kamille Karr followed closely with 7 kills and 11 digs, while sophomore Brooklyn Himmelberg contributed 5 kills.
Defensively, senior libero Sophie Schmidt anchored the back row with 31 digs, and senior Karah Bartels rounded out the night with 2 kills and 3 digs.
Despite a hard-fought effort and strong individual performances, the Mustangs ultimately fell to Kenesaw in a competitive four-set battle.