(Oakland) 14th rated Tri-Center outlasted Riverside in four sets to be among the final 16 teams left in Class 1A. The Trojans advance to face (24-15) Sidney for a trip to state on Wednesday.
Riverside took the first set 25-19, but Tri-Center rarely trailed in the next three. The Trojan’s big response saw victories of 25-18, 25-18, and 25-19.
Blocking was a key difference maker for a 26-10 Tri-Center team that was able to slow Riverside’s Veronica Andrusyshyn after a big first set. Andrusyshyn finished the night with 19 kills, eight of which came in the Lady Dawg’s 25-19 set one victory. Izzy Bluml heated up late and posted 13 kills in the loss. Ayla Richardson distributed 32 assists. Andrusyshyn and Bluml each finished in double figures for digs with 13 and 12, respectively. Riverside’s season ends at 23-14. Bluml was their lone senior. She ends her career 2nd in program history in kills, 3rd in digs, and 4th in aces.
Leading the resistance at the net for Tri-Center were Emile Sorenson and Preslie Arbaugh each with four blocks and Miranda Ring with three. Tri-Center was led by Sorenson’s 17 kills while Mikenzie Brewer had nine and Marissa Ring finished with eight. “I thought the girls did a really nice job. They saw open holes here and there.” Coach Amy Wingert fills us in on the message to the team after dropping the first set. “I just told the girls they have to be relentless after every ball. Riverside is a great team and they are very scrappy. We needed to swing away. We got tentative in the first game and started to do a lot of tipping.”
It was Tri-Center’s 3rd victory in as many tries over Riverside this season. Miranda Ring had 39 assists. Tatum Carlson led the team in digs with 18. Carlson served a pair of aces and went 26/28 behind the line. She goes over 1,000 career digs.
Wingert says her team is playing their best ball of the year at the right time. “We are. We got though that first game hiccup and we went forward from there. I’m happy with where we are at right now.”
Wednesday’s regional final between Sidney and Tri-Center will be played at Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs at 7:00 p.m. The Trojans are 3-1 against the Cowgirls this season.
