PRINSBURG — After earning 20 wins in 2019, the MACCRAY volleyball team had to wait until Nov. 5 to pick up its first win of 2020.

Of course, the late start of the season coupled with several of their matches being canceled due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests at their school are mostly responsible. Nonetheless, the Wolverines are glad to get into the win column.

MACCRAY captured a 3-0 win over Renville County West on Thursday during a Camden Conference match from MACCRAY High School. The set scores were 25-16, 25-6, 25-20.

The Wolverines have won eight straight matches against the Jaguars, who last beat MACCRAY in 2014.

Photo Gallery: Renville County West at MACCRAY Wolverines

“The kids are resilient and the last couple weeks have been up and down,” Wolverines head coach Terese Bourne said. “We had many, many players in quarantine, so we are happy to be back in the gym. We’re not going to take any day for granted. Tonight, our first win, we’re definitely happy to have it.”

Quickly grabbing the first two sets, MACCRAY found itself in a fight during the third set. Following a block from Ellie Wulf, an ace from Addyson Tanner and a kill from Alexis Roxberg, RCW led 4-1. After relinquishing their advantage at 8-7, the Jaguars tied the set three separate times.

However, with the help of an ace from Ella Bourne, MACCRAY used a 4-0 run to open up an 18-14 advantage. With the home team still up four, RCW’s Reilly Elfering cut the deficit to 23-20 with a kill, but that’s as close as the visitors would get. The Wolverines put the match away with kills from Kylee Kimpling and Jordan Thein.

Sydney Thein led MACCRAY with 10 kills, nine digs and nine assists. She also had six of the team’s 11 ace serves.

“I think we did a good job from the service line,” Terese Bourne said. “Our goal coming tonight was to cut down on our errors and (we) were able to do that.”

Ella Bourne had a team-high 14 digs. Annie Bourne had a Wolverines-best 12 set assists.

Tanner had 15 assists, 10 digs and an ace to lead RCW, which next faces Dawson-Boyd at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday in Dawson.

MACCRAY plays Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday in Kerkhoven.

MACCRAY 3,
RCW 0

RCW (0-7) 16 6 20

MACCRAY (1-2) 25 25 25

Renville County West

Serving (aces): Addyson Tanner 1, Ellie Wulf 1 … Set assists: Tanner 15, Holly Bratsch 2 … Hitting (kills): Alice Hanson 6, Tanner 1, Reilly Elfering 4, Wulf 4, Hannah Pharr 5 … Blocking (aces): Hanson 1, Wulf 2, Pharr 2 … Digs (5 or more): Hanson 6, Bratsch 7, Gasca 5, Tanner 10, Aalderks 5, Wulf 8

MACCRAY

Serving (aces): Sydney Thein 6, Ella Bourne 1, Elsie Sumner 1, Jordan Thein 2, Gabby Randt 1 … Set assists: S. Thein 9, Annie Bourne 12, E. Bourne 2 … Hitting (kills): Allison Koenen 3, Randt 6, J. Thein 2, S. Thein 10, Kimpling 5, Sumner 5 … Blocking (aces): Kimpling 1, Randt 1 … Digs (5 or more): S. Thein 9, E. Bourne 14