Iola-Scandy opens volleyball season

By Greg Seubert

Kendall Johnson serves the ball into play for the Iola-Scandinavia Thunderbirds during a recent home match. Holly Neumann Photo

Iola-Scandinavia’s volleyball team opened its season under first-year coach Teresa Kielblock with a pair of home matches.

The Thunderbirds split matches with Assumption and Port Edwards Aug. 25 and fell to Wild Rose Aug. 23.

Assumption defeated the T-Birds 25-15, 25-19, 20-25 and I-S topped the Blackhawks 23-25, 25-8, 27-25.

“I was really happy with the girls getting some great passes to Kendall (Johnson) so she could get some awesome sets to our hitters,” Kielblock said. “We were able to get some good hits because of it. The girls really worked together well in our Port Edwards game and fought until the end and seemed to be starting to have some fun out there, which is great to see.”

Johnson had 13 assists in the Assumption match and 16 against Port Edwards. Karena Finch and Elise Erdmann had nine service points against Port Edwards, while Mackenzie Kielblock finished with eight service points and eight kills. Payton Wester added four aces in the Port Edwards match.

Wild Rose picked up a 25-18, 25-18, 25-19 win.

Johnson led the team with 10 service points, while Erdmann had a team-high 15 digs and Kielblock and Wester added 13 each.

“I thought we improved from our scrimmage on Monday,” Kielblock said. “It’s obviously not the outcome we would want, but we still played better, getting more passes to the front row and getting more serves over. I’m really happy with Kendall making the best of and doing her best to get sets to our hitters.”

The T-Birds played at Tigerton Aug. 30 and will open Central Wisconsin 8 Conference play at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, at Wittenberg-Birnamwood. I-S will also host Shiocton at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8.