Hailey spikers settle some scores
Wolverines beat Jerome, Filer
By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer
HANDS OF STONE -- Wolverine Jamie Stone rocks Jerome defender Leslie Bingham at the net in a league matchup in Hailey Tuesday.
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A little shellshocked after an 0-5 weekend at the Hillcrest/Bonneville tournament, the Wood River High School varsity volleyball team needed to regroup quickly Tuesday night against two of Magic Valley?s better volleyball teams?Jerome and Filer.
Fortunately for coach Tim Richards? Wolverines, it turned out to be a good night on the Hailey hardwoods. Wood River rallied past conference rival Jerome 23-25, 25-19, 27-25, 28-26 and then got a measure of revenge over Filer 25-21, 25-20.
Seniors Rachael Richards and Syringa Stark led Wood River in the come-from-behind victory over Jerome which gave the Wolverines a commanding 4-0 league record with two matches to play?at Minico next Thursday and home to Burley Oct. 12.
Captain Rachael Richards ended up with 19 serves, 5 kills and 12 assists. Stark finished with 11 kills and 5 blocks. Junior Hannah Richards was a big factor with 11 kills and 9 assists. Ryann Menges (5 kills, 3 aces), Kelsey Lidstrom (5 blocks) and Leah McIlhenny (6 assists) contributed, as did Jamie Stone with sparkling defense.
Coach Richards said Tuesday, "We had a tough weekend and then lost that first game to Jerome. I asked the girls after that first game, you aren?t loose, what are you afraid of? They went out and hung in there the next two games and saw they could do it."
Jerome, a four-game home loser to Wood River Sept. 7, rallied from 10-4 and 18-12 deficits to win the first game 25-23 behind the strong hitting of lefty Ali German. Wood River didn?t muster much of a block, but the Hailey girls did better afterwards.
Stark, Lidstrom and Hannah Richards led the hitting in the 25-19 second-game victory. The final two games of the two-hour match were nip-and-tuck all the way, each game tied at 25-25 before Wood River prevailed.
A pair of timely kills by Rachael Richards settled the third game, and Richards ended up with 10 service points. In the fourth game, Hannah Richards (5 kills for the game) and Menges had some huge kills down the homestretch, then Stark (5 kills) hammered home the game winner.
Hannah Richards (5 kills) and Menges (4 kills) led Wood River in its 25-21, 25-20 nightcap win over Filer that avenged a 29-27, 25-20 Wolverine loss to Filer in the Wood River Invitational Sept. 18. Earlier, the Wildcats sent Jerome home winless 25-9, 25-15.
Next, Wood River plays in the 20-team Borah Invitational Friday and Saturday, Oct. 1-2 in Boise. The Wolverines play Mountain View starting at 1 p.m., then match up against Caldwell. Later in the afternoon, about 5:30 p.m., Wood River plays two tough foes in #5-ranked 5A school Eagle and #5-ranked 4A team Kuna.
