There is a rhythm to volleyball that resembles a waltz. In a waltz, dancers twirl around to a one-two-three one-two-three beat. As I watched the Agates take on the Bombers, I found myself counting one-two-three as I watched the players work together to dig-set-kill. Of course, the tempo wasn’t as even as a waltz, but no one can deny that well-played volleyball requires fancy footwork, great timing, and in tune partners.
On Thursday, September 7th, fans gathered at the Two Harbors High School to watch the Agates take on the Barnum Bombers. The Bombers may have scored the first few points of the night but once the Agates were on a roll, they took quite a lead. Set 1 ended at 25-18.
Warmed up, the Agates dominated the second set, as well. Harper Powell started the set early with a string of kills. Harper, a senior who plays outside hitter, would rack up 7 kills by the end of the evening. She may have had even more had it not been for a very tall Ivy Pole-check, a senior at Barnum High School and a great blocker. Set 2 finished with a 25-16 score.
It is at this time I will confess that I may have jinxed the third set for the Agates. I had received a text asking when I might be heading home and I said that if the next set went like the first two, I’d be leaving soon. However, I won’t truly take credit for Barnum’s win for the third set. They played beautifully and won 25-21.
The third set was the most exciting of the evening. The score remained tight. There were some intense volleys that included some hard won saves to keep the ball in the air. Rachel Bopp, a Two Harbors junior, served a series of spectacular aces. Her serving style is impressive, and her execution is deadly. Rachel served 7 aces throughout the game. She also had a total of 8 kills by the end of the night.
The night was won by the Agates in set 4 by a score of 25-11. Brooklyn Nelson, a Two Harbors sophomore, had a great game with 12 set assists over the 4 sets. Her teammate Delaney Nelson, also a sophomore, had a total of 7 blocks.
Carley Challender, coach of the Two Harbors Girls Varsity Volleyball team, is proud of how the team has been able to pivot through adversity this season. “We’ve had a lot of injuries,” Coach Challender said. “We’ve had them run a lot of rotations they’ve never practiced. They’ve proven time and time again that they can do it.”
It’ll be fun to watch what the Agates Volleyball team will accomplish this year. They certainly have the support of incredible fans, as evidenced on Thursday night. Some Two Harbors students dressed up with very fancy cowboy hats, one held a giant cardboard head of a favorite player, one had a stick toy horse and rode the side-lines of the court, and all joined in when the unofficial cheerleaders led a call and response chant adding another rhythm to the game.
Congratulations on the win, Agates! Good luck throughout the season!
Feel free to reach out to sarahwritesnsj@yahoo.com with any news we should news about!
