JAMESTOWN -- The Dickinson High volleyball team is slowly but surely carving out a new identity without Katelyn Steffan and Paige Nash.
In the Midgets' first year sans their graduated star duo, Dickinson was expected to take its lumps.
But with Dickinson 25-16, 25-19, 25-17 sweep of Jamestown on Friday night in a West Region meeting at Jamestown High School, there are definite signs the Midgets are a force in the West Region.
"They were close games early," Midgets coach Jay Schobinger said. "Jamestown is a scary team because they've played some good teams tough. It was good to get the win."
DHS outside hitter Jess Herauf clubbed back-to-back kills early in the opening game to give her squad a 7-4 lead, an advantage the Midgets would not relinquish in the opening stanza. The 5-foot-8 freshman led Dickinson with five kills in the game, finishing with a match-high 12 on the night.
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"Coach has really helped me a lot with my swing," Herauf said. "We really worked together as a team tonight. We had some good sets and came together as a team."
After polishing off a 25-16 opening-game victory, the teams rallied back-and-forth to a 10-10 tie in the second frame. But again Herauf had an answer, this time from behind the serving line.
"Dickinson out-hustled us. We seemed to be stuck in one spot," said Jamestown coach Ashley Morgan. "We just were not anticipating the ball.
Capitalizing after an unforced Jamestown error gave the Midgets the lead. Herauf's ace sparked a short rally, while kills for the Midgets' 21st and 24th points solidified a win in Game 2.
"We are still trying to figure out who we are," said Schobinger. "We are wanting our middles to play aggressively and we are still working on what we have to do to get better.
"We knew with an inexperienced team, we would struggle a little bit. We made some goofs early, but we've found we have to play aggressively with this group. We need to force the other team into making mistakes."
Senior Lynn Messer came alive in the third game, tallying four of her nine kills as the Midgets finished off the Blue Jays.
"Lynn is someone I count on," said Herauf. "She's always
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playing behind me for tips and that helps a lot."
Whitley Abrahamson handed out 32 assists for Dickinson and had 11 digs. Sasha Bruels, a 5-7 senior outside hitter, led all players with 13 digs and added a pair of aces.
"I'm really excited for WDA," said Herauf. "We've gotten a lot better since our first matches and now we are just hoping for a good seed."
The Jamestown Sun and The Dickinson Press are both owned by Forum Communications Co.
