Ste. Gen Reaches Second Round At Dig For Life

By ERIC X. VICCARO

EVICCARO@STEGENHERALD.COM

CAPE GIRARDEAU — The Ste. Genevieve High School volleyball team lost in the second round of the Dig For Life Tournament this past Saturday.

Lesterville topped Ste. Genevieve by scores of 25-15, 25-20.

The Dig For Life Tournament was an intense, two-day, near-60-team tournament with a lightning-quick format.

“It’s a very large tournament, so the format is broken into two divisions, Red and Black,” Ste. Genevieve head coach Carla Basler said. “Each team is guaranteed to play five total matches, three in pool play, one challenge match (cross pool) and tournament play.”

How teams fared in the cross-pool match ultimately determined where the Dragons ended up in the bracket.

“The girls had moments of great volleyball,” Basler noted. “But, we were inconsistent throughout the weekend on some of the basics such as communication, serving and passing.”

Basler said the tournament will help the girl refocus during this week’s practices. The Dragons used a different line-up since the squad is reeling with unspecified injuries at this point.

In the final pool play match on Saturday morning, Columbia Rock Bridge toppled Ste. Genevieve. The Dragons fell to Seckman in the cross-pool match.

Ste. Genevieve opened up bracket action with Hillsboro, winning in straight sets — before Lesterville eliminated the Dragons.

In the match versus Lesterville, Dru Koetting and Arie Taylor both peppered five kills. Devyn Basler, Joleigh Parker and Taylor combined for 13 assists. A.J. Prudent had four solo ace blocks and Elizabeth Basler two.

In the easy 25-20, 25-9 win over Hillsboro, Alissa Grass served up seven aces, Dru Koetting had team-leading six kills, Devyn Basler contributed nine assists and A.J. Prudent and Elizabeth Basler three solo ace blocks each.

It was a busy week for the Dragons with eight matches during a four-day period, starting with last Tuesday’s three-set sweep over Herculaneum. Windsor topped Ste. Genevieve  Thursday.