Bison win big
Hazen uses 14 aces in first round win over Park River-F-LBy CRAIG HAUPERT, Staff Writer chaupert@minotdailynews.com
Article Photos
Park River-Fordville-Lankin got served.
Led by Allison Opp's match-high five aces, Hazen served up 14 aces in a 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-12) dismantling of PR-F-L in the first round of the state Class B volleyball tournament Thursday at the Minot State University Dome.
Opp, a senior middle, kept the Aggies off balance with a jump serve she learned at a North Dakota State University volleyball camp this past summer.
In addition to producing aces, Opp's serves were often returned just over the net where they were put down by a Hazen player.
"When (Opp's serve) is on it is just a force. It is so hard to return," Hazen head coach Linette Irwin said. "Our kids see it every day in practice and we know how tough it is."
Opp wasn't the only one with a hot hand.
Junior Sarah Grimm finished with four aces, while senior Kate Berg had three. Junior Breaunna Oakland and senior Jenna Maas added one ace each.
"(Serve receive) is usually the bread and butter of our game," Aggies head coach Sherry Swartz said. "We have no problem usually siding out, but (Thursday) we struggled a little."
The Bison got points from everywhere and everyone.
Opp finished with 12 kills, senior Stef Bohrer had five kills and Maas and Grimm both had four kills.
"We had good energy, we were playing together and doing what we usually do," Opp said.
Senior Lexi Erickson led the Aggies with nine kills and a block, while junior Sydney Larson had seven kills and senior Cass Heigaard four kills.
Senior Tessa Zahradka added two kills and two blocks for the Aggies, but left with an ankle injury midway through the third game.
Junior setter Payton Borud finished with 17 assists and Grimm added a team-leading 10 digs for the Bison, who play Stanley in a semifinal match today.
The Aggies, who got 23 digs for Erickson and 18 assists from senior Courtney Rehovksy, are scheduled to play Harvey in a consolation match today.
Hazen 3, Park River-Fordville-Lankin 0
Hazen 25 25 25
PR-F-L 15 17 12
Hazen - Kills: Allison Opp 12, Stef Bohrer 5, Sarah Grimm 4, Jenna Maas 4, Kate Berg 2, Rachael Hansana 1, Breaunna Oakland 1; Assists: Payton Borud 17, Berg 4, Grimm 1, Hansana 1; Aces: Opp 5, Grimm 4, Berg 3, Oakland 1, Maas 1; Blocks: Maas 2, Hansana 1, Opp 1, Bohrer 1; Digs: Grimm 10, Maas 8, Borud 8, Bohrer 5, Opp 3, Berg 3, Oakland 1.
PR-F-L - Kills: Lexi Erickson 9, Sydney Larson 7, Cass Heigaard 4, Tessa Zahradka 2; Assists: Courtney Rehovsky 18, Heigaard 1, Shayna Ruzicka 1, Carly Myrdal 1; Aces: Alaina Myrdal 1, Ruzicka 1; Blocks: Zahradka 2, Heigaard 1, Erickson 1, Larson 1; Digs: Erickson 23, Larson 11, Alaina Myrdal 9, Ruzicka 4, Brittnee Linn 1, Heigaard 1.




