Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley
Arlington defeated Dell Rapids St Mary in the “Battle of Cardinals” at St Mary High School on Thursday, September 23rd. Arlington won in straight sets by scores of 25-14, 27-25, and 25-8.
Arlington got out to a quick seven-point lead early in the first set. They built a 12-5 lead, but St Mary rallied for six straight points to cut the lead to 12-11. An Arlington timeout stopped the momentum St Mary had gained. Arlington finished the set on a 13-3 run to win 25-14.
The second set started much closer as the two were tied 4-4 and then again at 9-9. The teams traded points until the set was tied again at 14-14. Arlington went on a 4-0 run for an 18-14 lead, one of the biggest of the set. St Mary rallied for six straight points and took a 20-18 lead. St Mary led 23-21 and 24-23, but Arlington scored two in a row to take a 25-24 advantage. St Mary tied the set at 25-25, but Arlington scored the final two points to steal the set 27-25.
That late rally by Arlington gave them all the momentum heading into the third set. Arlington scored the first three points and built a 13-3 lead. They continued to roll from there winning the final set 25-8.
Brianna Griffin had four kills and five blocks in the match. Courtney Brown finished with 19 digs and three kills. Maya Heinitz had five digs, two blocks, and three kills. Ella Griffin finished with five set assists and three blocks. Brianna Lindeman had seven digs and three set assists. Madala Hanson added five set assists, and Jaycee Tebay led the team with two ace serves.
St Mary (9-3) will travel to Hills-Beaver Creek, MN on Monday, September 27th and then host Baltic on Tuesday, September 28th.