SPEARFISH, S.D. — The Spearfish Spartans Volleyball Team showed resilience and depth on Tuesday night, sweeping rival Sturgis Brown in three sets (25–19, 25–16, 25–23) to improve their record to 11–5 on the season. The loss dropped the Scoopers to 3–10.
Filling in the Gaps
Spearfish entered the match without key middle hitters Averie Rogers and Lilliana Sadowski, but the Spartans didn’t miss a beat thanks to players stepping up in big moments. Addison Keller made the most of her opportunity, recording 10 kills in crucial stretches to keep the offense flowing. Senior standout Adelyn Bouman set the tone, leading the team with 15 kills as Spearfish repeatedly leaned on her scoring ability.
Bouman wasn’t alone. Julia Billington and Keller chipped in with timely strikes, keeping the Scoopers’ defense honest. Billington added 10 kills of her own and was a difference-maker at the service line, finishing with four aces—including three straight during a key run in the third set.
A Battle in the Third
The Spartans controlled the first two sets, but the third was anything but easy. After jumping out to a 6–1 lead, Spearfish saw Sturgis claw back and eventually take a two-point advantage. The Spartans responded with a 5–1 surge to regain momentum, and the two sides traded points until the score was knotted at 23.
That’s when Bouman delivered once more, hammering down a kill to set up match point. Billington sealed the victory with a decisive strike that closed out the sweep.
On the defensive side, Faith Hoffman and Kali Reiners were steady in the back row with 18 and 14 digs respectively. Coach Shelbie Richards credited the team for finding a way to close out a set that has given them trouble at times this season.
Coach’s Perspective
“I think a lot of it is that we have a huge tendency of beating ourselves up too much,” said Richards. “We also come up with excuses in some cases when we just need to be honest with ourselves. We need to keep the pedal to the medal and confident in our skills but still have that chip on our shoulder.”
Richards also pointed out the contributions of Tabatha Zandstra and Kaitlyn Wheaton, who were pressed into service-receive roles. “They had never been in that situation for us and both stepped up to help us come away with a win,” Richards said.
What’s Next
The Spartans will face another tough test on Thursday, September 25, when they play the Custer Wildcats (13–4) at home. Varsity action is set to begin at 7 p.m.
