By Kerri Rempp
With just six girls on the roster, the Sioux County Lady Warriors have found ways to win some early contests.
Sioux County began 2024 with a win in Banner County Aug. 30, breezing by their season opener opponents 25-21, 25-21, 25-17. Their next win came Sept. 3 over Bayard. The Tigers took the first set 25-15, but Sioux County turned things around to take the next two and the win 25-13, 25-16.
In between those wins, Sioux County hosted a triangular with Crawford and Hemingford Aug. 31, where the Warriors suffered their first two losses of the season. Hemingford defeated the Warriors 25-11, 25-19. Except for a brief 1-0 lead for the Warriors in the second set, Hemingford led on the scoreboard the entire match. Ella Hyer had three kills and an ace serve for the Warriors, while Sierra Eastman added two blocks and a kill in the contest. Kaydy Potter served up two aces and had one kill.
The Bobcats won the triangular with their subsequent defeat of Crawford 25-20, 28-26. The Rams led early, going up 3-1, in set one, but three errors gave the lead to Hemingford. An ace by Peyton Osmotherly gave Crawford the go-ahead point at 7-6, but Hemingford answered with three consecutive kills, two blocks and another kill to go up 12-7 and led the rest of the set. The Rams started well in the second set, taking a 4-1 lead before the Bobcats rattled off a 5-0 run. Kember Mittan terminated for Crawford to tie it at 9 and 10 and did so again to make it 12-10 Rams. Hemingford retook the lead at 17-16 and looked to end the contest at 21-19. The Rams pressed on, and Whitlee Rudloff’s kill tied the set at 22, and two Hemingford errors gave Crawford match point, 24-22. A Hemingford kill and a rally that included scrappy play by both teams tied it at 24, and the teams traded leads to find the two winning points. Hemingford eventually closed it out with a kill by Taylor Swanson.
The Crawford Rams won 2-0 over Sioux County in the final game of the triangular. The first set saw extra play as the Warriors pushed the Rams to a 26-24 game. Crawford took the second set 25-20.
Sioux County added two more losses to its record against Creek Valley Sept. 3 and Leyton Sept. 6. The contest against Creek Valley was another in which the Warriors pushed their opponents, forcing Creek Valley into extra points in both sets. In the end, Creek Valley took the victory 28-26, 26-24. Leyton earned a 25-4, 25-13, 25-13 win over Sioux County. Leyton’s Zaili Benish went on a 9-0 serving run to start the game, in a streak that included six aces. Leyton extended its lead to 13-1 and never looked back. Sioux County’s Sierra Eastman and Ella Hyer each had one kill in the set. Kaydy Potter terminated a kill early in the second set to make it 1-1 before Leyton went up 5-2. An Eastman kill and an ace serve by Morgan Randall tied it at 5 before Leyton reclaimed the lead and went on to win. Eastman had three more kills in the set, while Hyer landed an ace serve. Sioux led the third 3-1 on an Eastman kill and Leyton errors, but Leyton inched their way back to tie it at 4 and then went ahead for the win. Eastman terminated two kills, a block and landed an ace in the third set.