A scoreboard operator at Logan View High School credited Emilee Thayer-Mencke with five service aces and 17 kills Thursday night.
Elsewhere on the board, it read 25-20, 26-24 and 25-14 in the favor of the standout sophomore's volleyball team. The Fort Calhoun Pioneers' 3-0 victory was its first win since Sept. 23. It broke a 12-match skid.
“It feels amazing,” Thayer-Mencke said. “We couldn't do it without everyone playing. I feel like we were all just in it together that game.”
Junior Jovi Grenier said FCHS' victory started with the energy the Pioneers (9-18 overall) played with two nights earlier during a loss to 20-9 Conestoga.
“We just didn't end up getting the win,” she said. “Tonight, we put in the same energy and we ended up getting it.”
Coach Liz Sevcik's team jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead against the Raiders during Thursday's first set. The advantage moved to 20-13 and 22-15 on Ari Nelson and Taylor Stewart kills before Thayer-Mencke tallied set point on her own swing.
Calhoun produced leads of 8-4 and 17-11 during the second set, too, before Logan View/Scribner-Snyder battled back to tie it at 22-all.
A Grenier tap that found the floor broke the even score, but the Raiders would match it again twice more before Thayer-Mencke's 12th and 13th kills finally ended the set. The sophomore said her setter, Sophie Weeks, was delivering throughout with assists, finishing with 37 — four short of the FCHS record.
“She was setting me dimes, literally,” Thayer-Mencke said. “It was really insane. I couldn't do it without her.”
The third set started a little slower for the Pioneers, but they took control when their leader in kills went on a serve streak. Thayer-Mencke's efforts from behind the line turned a small deficit into a 14-7 lead.
From there, Grenier had a kill at 18-12, freshman Claire Pearson hammered one through a block at 19-14 and Weeks tallied an ace serve at 22-14. Grenier added another kill for FCHS' 24th point of the third set before Thayer-Mencke again took the last swing.
“We really emphasized running through plays, hustling and giving our all for the ball,” Grenier said of the Pioneers' effort in victory. “I think that's what really helped us — really wanting to win and putting that hustle in for it.”
The match was the last of Fort Calhoun's regular season schedule. It was scheduled to play a Class C1 Subdistrict 2 Tournament contest Monday at Omaha Concordia and will play again today if it was able to beat Louisville. Up-to-date results and schedules will be available online at enterprisepub.com/sports each night of postseason play until Washington County teams are eliminated from contention.
FCHS VOLLEYBALL LINE SCORE
Thursday
Fort Calhoun 3, Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 0
FCHS (9-18) 25 26 25 — 3
LVSS (6-22) 20 24 14 — 0
