Ely topples Rock Ridge in senior night romp

ELY- The Timberwolves sent their seniors out with a sweep on Tuesday, closing the regular season with a 25-9, 25-15, 25-15 win over Rock Ridge on Senior Night.
Peyton Huntington, Audrey Kallberg, Charlotte Hegman, Amelia Penke, Gretta Lowe, Ruby Lowe, and Lydia Shultz were recognized along with their parents before the introduction of lineups.
“We have been blessed with a hardworking group of seniors this year who have dedicated countless hours to volleyball, both in and out of season. Each of them has contributed in their own unique way to the success of our program over the years,” Head Coach Megan Bialik said. “Their commitment, hard work, and dedication have helped shape our program into what it is today. They have motivated players around them to also put time into becoming better volleyball players.”
Rock Ridge grabbed the first three points of the opening set, but Ely quickly turned the match in its favor. Back-to-back service aces stretched the Wolves’ lead to 10-4, and Ely kept the pressure on from there. The Wolves widened the gap to 17-6 and cruised to a 25-9 opening-set win.
The Wolverines stayed closer in the second, trailing 14-10 midway through the set, but Ely again found room to pull away. The Wolves pushed their lead to 19-12, prompting a Rock Ridge timeout, then extended the margin to 21-12 on the way to a 25-15 win and a two-set advantage.
Ely took control early in the third, building a 7-3 lead and stretching it to 11-4 with another ace. A Shultz kill off the block put the Wolves ahead 18-8, and Rock Ridge was unable to mount a sustained comeback. The Wolverines sent an attack long on match point to give Ely a 25-15 win and seal the sweep.
The Wolves will host a first-round match in the Section 7A tournament on Monday.
Shultz led Ely with 11 kills, followed by Kallberg with nine, Violet Udovich with eight, Penke with seven, and Hegman with six. Gretta Lowe tallied 35 set assists and six digs, while Kallberg recorded seven digs, two solo blocks, and two block assists. Peyton Huntington contributed five digs, and Shultz had four.