G-E-T volleyball falls in three conference bouts
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau senior Tatum Johnson split a pair of Luther defenders at the net with a kill in the opening game of last Tuesday’s loss at Luther High School. (Times photograph by Benjamin Pierce)
A trio of Coulee Conference opponents got the better of the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School volleyball team last week.
The Red Hawks (7-12 overall, 3-5 Coulee) fell to Luther on the road last Monday and also lost to Viroqua and Westby in a doubleheader last Thursday at Westby High School.
Two more conference opponents await G-E-T this week with Coulee leading West Salem (17-4, 8-0 Coulee) visiting on Tuesday and a rematch with Viroqua set for Thursday at G-E-T High School.
Luther 13 25 25 14 15
G-E-T 25 8 23 25 8
Monday’s match was one of momentum swings on either side of the net, but the visiting Red Hawks finished on the wrong end of the final score against the Knights.
Luther (7-11, 2-5 Coulee) is chasing the Red Hawks for fifth in the conference standings and took another step with Monday’s win.
Set one saw G-E-T establish an early lead and never give it up, winning 25-13.
Luther tied the match by winning the second set in dominating fashion, 25-8. The two sides battled in game three, but the hosts squeezed out a close win, 25-23.
The Red Hawks claimed the fourth set to force a match-deciding fifth, but Luther prevailed to earn their first win over G-E-T this year by winning the tiebreaker 15-8.
Amanda Pierson handed out 29 assists and led the visitors with eight aces. Alexis Schroeder and Cadence Simmons each had nine kills for G-E-T.
Westby 25 25 25
G-E-T 22 13 17
Westby, currently second in the Coulee at 7-2 and 16-9 overall, continued its strong 2023 with a sweep over G-E-T in game one last Tuesday.
Westby took set one in a tight 25-22 score and carried the momentum forward for the sweep. Tatum Johnson had four kills for G-E-T, and Faith Bennett contributed a pair of aces.
Viroqua 22 19 25 25 15
G-E-T 25 25 15 8 7
Another close conference contest greeted G-E-T to round out Tuesday’s back-to-back contests at Westby High School, but Viroqua got the better of the Red Hawks in the teams’ first clash this season.
The Red Hawks looked primed for a sweep after winning the opening two sets against the Blackhawks, but Viroqua stormed back to shock G-E-T and overcome the early deficit.
Emma Grams led G-E-T in kills with six, and teammate Caroline Mack had 11 assists. Kaylee Hauge finished with 21 digs to pace the Red Hawks, and Johnson was the only Red Hawk to finish with multiple aces (two).
The Blackhawks (6-7, 4-5 Coulee) continue to stay in the middle of the pack in the conference ahead of the teams’ rematch this week.
