The Silver Lake volleyball team pushed Franklin to the limit in a nail-biting championship match but ultimately claimed runner-up honors at the Loomis Tournament on Saturday, September 13, after strong victories over Hi-Line and Loomis.
The Lady Mustangs opened the day against the Hi-Line Bulls, cruising to a 25-13 win in the first set before edging out a closer 25-23 finish in the second. Senior outside hitter MaKenna Karr powered the offense with 10 kills on a .400 hitting percentage. She was supported by senior outside hitter Kamille Karr with seven kills and senior right-side hitter Kerra Hofstetter with five. Senior libero Sophie Schmidt anchored the defense with 14 digs and 16 perfect serve receptions, while Kamille Karr added six digs of her own. Sophomore setter Libby Soucek guided the offense with 14 assists, and Hofstetter chipped in nine. MaKenna Karr said, “It was a great way to start the day. We played scrappy and played together as a team to set the tone for the day.”
In the semifinal against Loomis, Silver Lake struck early with a 25-17 first-set win, dropped a tight 24-26 second set, and sealed the victory with a 25-22 finish in the third. Defense set the tone as Schmidt collected 22 digs, while Hofstetter and MaKenna Karr each added 10. Schmidt commented, “We were a little inconsistent at times, but we didn’t let that affect our mentality, so we were able to finish the game strong.” On the attack, MaKenna Karr tallied a season-high 19 kills, with Soucek contributing seven. Soucek and Hofstetter shared setting duties with 14 and 13 assists, respectively. From the service line, the Mustangs tallied 10 aces—six from Hofstetter and four from MaKenna Karr.
That win propelled Silver Lake into the championship against Franklin. The Mustangs dropped the opening set 22-25 but roared back with a commanding 25-12 victory in the second. The decisive third set turned into a thriller, with Franklin narrowly escaping 30-28. MaKenna Karr notched her second double-double of the day with 16 kills and 15 digs, while Soucek added eight kills at the net. Sophomore middle blocker Brooklyn Himmelberg protected the front row with three blocks. Schmidt was everywhere on defense, finishing with 29 digs and 27 serve receptions without an error. Soucek added 16 digs and 12 assists, while Hofstetter handed out 15 assists of her own.
Though the Mustangs fell just short in the final, their relentless play and balanced contributions highlighted a strong tournament run. They will get another chance at the Flyers later this season. “We are excited to get another shot at Franklin; we know we can execute better,” Schmidt said.