Goessel volleyball team struggles in HOA league tournament
By DELBERT PETERS
Sports writer
Even with 18 victories, the Goessel High School volleyball team could not take things for granted Saturday at the Heart of America League Tournament.
Goessel entered the tournament as the number four seed, but knew that beating the number five seed, Hutch Trinity was critical in order to get out of pool play.
Trinity was the first match of the day for the Bluebirds and Goessel fell behind 12-7 but regrouped and took a 19-14 lead.
Trinity came back to tie the game at 21-21. A Courtney Berkholz downed block gave the Bluebirds their 24th point and a Trinity error ended game one in favor of Goessel 25-23.
Trinity went from a tie game at 4-4 and jumped all over the Bluebirds en route to a 25-11 victory.
In the third game of the match Goessel was ahead 8-7 but the Celtics were able to rally for seven straight points.
The Bluebirds tried to scratch their way back into the lead. Kory Hiebert had a key block for a point, getting the Bluebirds as close as 23-20.
Sarah Unruh had a spike down the line for a point and the momentum seemed to shift to the Bluebirds. On the next play, the Bluebirds were tentative at the net and Trinity took a 24-21 lead, before finishing the game 21-25.
Canton-Galva was the next opponent for the Bluebirds and with Brianna Unrau serving, Goessel jumped out to a 12-4 lead.
GHS stayed in command of the game winning 25-12. The second game was close, but with the score tied at 11, Goessel scored five straight points. The five-point lead remained for most of the game and Unruh ended the game with an ace for the Bluebird win 25-19.
League-dominating Moundridge continued its winning ways against the Bluebirds as they jumped to a 9-2. The Wildcats, a tall and athletic team, kept hitting winners to the open back right corner on the Bluebirds court. Moundridge ended the game 25-14.
The second game was slightly different as the Bluebirds were tied 6-6, but the Wildcats dominated the last part of the game with a final score of 25-12. The Bluebirds record is now 19-10.
The Bluebirds travel Tuesday to Rosalia for 1A regional games.
Goessel will enter the tournament with a number two seed and their first match will be against the between Burrton and Hamilton winner.
The top two teams from the tournament go on to play Oct. 27 at sub-state in Madison.
