SLEEPY EYE -- Susan Alstrom of Buffalo Lake-Hector became the first area volleyball coach to record 500 career wins Thursday night when the Mustangs beat Sleep Eye 25-11, 25-23, 25-14 in a Tomahawk Conference match.
Alstrom, in her 27th season as coach at Buffalo Lake-Hector, needed four wins entering the season to reach the elite number.
Only eight other volleyball coaches from Minnesota have recorded 500-or-more wins in their career. Currently, there are four coaches with over 600 career wins.
"Winning is great, but you measure success in so many other ways," said Alstrom after the match. "I've had some great kids to work with."
Alstrom has guided teams to the state tournament four times, finishing second in 1999 and third in 1989, 2000 and 2003.
ADVERTISEMENT
"It's kind of special getting (the 500th win) with this team," she said. "There have been so many injuries to this team and they are a great bunch of kids who work hard and have a lot of fun."
Buffalo Lake-Hector (4-8) has lost two starting hitters for the season to knee injuries and a substitute to a broken hand.
Against Sleepy Eye, Missy Deal led a balanced attack for the Mustangs with 11 kills, followed by Emma Koeberl with nine. Mandy Polacco had 20 assists.
Buffalo Lake-Hector 3, Sleepy Eye 0
BLH 25 25 25
Sleepy Eye 23 10 14
(Key: good-attempts-aces)
Buffalo Lake-Hector
ADVERTISEMENT
Serving: Missy Deal 8-9-0, Mandy Polacco 6-7-0, Emma Koeberl 8-9-1, Megan Sandgren 3-3-0, Breanna Hulls 1-2-0, Lindsey Kramer 12-12-1, Missy Mellies 21-21-0, Jordan Duehn 1-1-0, Dawn Johnson 3-4-2, Michaela Wolff 1-2-1 ... Setting: Polacco 49-50-20, Wolff 22-22-10 ... Hitting: Deal 26-26-11, Polacco 2-2-0, Koeberl 18-22-9, Sandgren 9-12-5, Huls 2-2-1, Kramer 11-11-3, Mellies 6-8-3 ... Blocking (aces): Deal 1, Koeberl 1, Mellies 1 ... Digs: not available
Sleepy Eye
Statistics not available
