The Blair volleyball team won its three-team subdistrict tournament Tuesday, securing a district final spot for the second year in a row.
It took the Bears just one match to clinch the Class B-4 Subdistrict bracket as they defeated Schuyler 25-11, 25-11, 22-25 and 25-23. The win was their 11th of the season, which is the most BHS has earned during a single campaign since it won 15 in 2002 under coach Kristi Baker.
This fall, first-year coach Becca Mellema has her Blair squad at 11-15 going into the substate round. The Bears next play at No. 1 Norris on Saturday at 10 a.m.
The Bears started fast against the Warriors, who played a five-set match against South Sioux City to earn a spot across the court from Blair. The home team won the first two sets by 14-point margins before the visitors won the third, 25-22.
“All credit to Schuyler,” Mellema said. “They definitely stepped up their game in the third set.”
Fortunately for BHS, the Bears found their footing and pulled out a back-and-forth, 25-23 set for the win.
“They definitely caught us off guard and, then, we were kind of able to recover ourselves in the fourth set,” the coach noted.
A Taylor Mostek tap gave Blair a late, 22-21 lead, but the Warriors responded with their season on the line. They took a 23-22 advantage before serving the ball into the net and surrendering two more points to close out the year 7-22.
Early on, the Bears made it look easy, though. They built a 6-0 first-set lead on Reece Ewoldt's serves and an Olivia Fitchhorn kill. Peyton Ogle's block made it 15-3 before Claire Gochanour's ace pushed it to 23-9.
The second set was close at the start with Fitchhorn's ace tying the score at 5-all. From there, though, BHS put it away before it eventually put the match away, too.
Next, the Bears face one of Class B's top seeds — Norris — Saturday. Though matchups were unavailable at the time, Mellema said her team would be ready for whatever challenge lay ahead.
“We have prepared all season to play hard teams,” she said.
It's a process that's led the BHS volleyball program to more wins this fall than the school has earned during a single campaign in 19 years.
“We're going to have to give 100 percent, but that's been the expectation all season,” Mellema said. “So, nothing will really change. We'll just give it all we've got.”
