Patriots host Cougars in volleyball opener

The Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots hosted Viborg-Hurley for their first regular season volleyball game Tuesday, Aug. 30.
The 2021 match with the Cougars was H-BC’s only win last season, so the Patriots were hoping for the same outcome.
But they had a hard time executing their three hits and they struggled to put it all together on the court, resulting in a three-game loss, 16-25, 24-26, 12-25.
As the scores indicate, the Patriots gave the Cougars respectable competition.
Lanae Elbers contributed the Patriots’ first score of the night with a block. Layla Deelstra added a kill and a tip which gave the Patriots the lead 3-2. However, V-H went on a run to make it 6-10.
Freshman Ella Sammons contributed a couple of points with a tip and block to bring the score to 9-10, followed by another big V-H run to put the score at 9-16.
Taylor Huisman added a kill to help the Patriots’ cause, but it wasn't enough to stop V-H, and they finished the set 16-25. 
The Patriots started the second set with some good serving.
Ace serves by Olivia Bork, Deelstra, Brynn Rauk, and Larissa Steinhoff gave H-BC a 9-7 lead.
A kill by Elbers followed by a double block by Elbers and Rauk kept them in the lead 14-10. Another hard hit by Elbers and a double block by Sammons and Steinhoff put the score at 18-13.
Deelstra and Elbers sent tips over the net for two more points, and a nice pass from Deelstra, set by Rauk and kill by Elbers kept the Patriots in the lead 23-21.
However, V-H came back to tie the score at 24-24 and the Cougars secured the win 24-26. 
Missed serves by the Patriots in Set 3 gave V-H an early lead. Elbers added another kill and tip over the net to bring the score to 9-20.
The Patriots were not able to get much going after that, and V-H finished the set 12-25. 
H-BC will play in the Luverne tournament Saturday, Sept. 10, and will travel to Edgerton on Tuesday, Sept. 13, to play Southwest Minnesota Christian.