Lake Holcombe sees tough sets during away triangular

By Ginna Young

Lake Holcombe got all their games in for just one night, with an away triangular against conference opponents.

Sept. 14 vs. New Auburn conference (L 3-1)

The Chieftains traveled the short distance to Cornell, where the first opponent was New Auburn. The opening sets were close, but Lake Holcombe saw the victory go to New Auburn, 25-20, in sets one and two.

The Chieftains fought back for a 25-22 win in the third set, forcing a fourth set. Lake Holcombe battled in the final set, but the Trojans walked away with the 25-17 win.

“We were playing a new lineup, as we were missing one of our starting middles, but sophomore (and shared JV/varsity player) Emma Lechleitner stepped up to fill the spot and did a great job,” said coach Beth Meddaugh. “Sophomore Ella Hartzell also stepped into the libero role for the first time this season and worked hard at putting up good passes. Brooke Gingras and Josi Elmberg also had solid performances, and served in leadership roles on the court.”

The senior Gingras led on kills, with 13, followed by Lechleitner, with 8. Freshman Chloe Lee added 32 assists, while Hartzell had 20 digs and the senior Elmberg had 16. Gingras recorded 6 aces on the night.

Sept. 14 vs. Cornell conference (L 3-0)

It was then time to face rival Cornell, where Lake Holcombe got off to a slow start in the first set, dropping the match, 25-14. The Chieftains gave the Chiefs a much closer set in the second match, 25-22, but Cornell rebounded for a 25-19 win in the third set, to take the 3-0 shutout.

Gingras finished with 7 kills, Lee notched 15 assists, and Hartzell came up with 11 digs, followed by Elmberg, with 10.

“The girls played well in both matches, but just couldn’t seem to close out sets,” said Meddaugh.