Labor Day Tournament Recap

On the weekend when most people were firing up their grills for a backyard Barbeque, our Lady Pronghorns were firing up the court! They had much to celebrate this weekend after going 4-0 in their Labor Day Tournament. After winning 3-1 with Rocky Mountain College Monday, the ladies had little time to prepare for four more opportunities to defend their home court. This was something they obviously did not take lightly.  

Gillette came out confident and excited to display their hard work by crushing Colorado Northwestern 25-18, 25-15, 25-15. Kate Vondrak and Payge Riediesel were big factors, both putting down 6 kills each. One of our returners, Francesca Gazani led back row with 17 digs and kept defense on lock each set. It was safe to say the start of the tournament left spectators in anticipation for more Pronghorn action.  

The Buccaneers left without a plunder for the second match at Gillette. Mackenzie King kept things fired up with 10 kills! King expressed that her mindset going into this tournament was "to focus on one thing at a time and to do my job as a hitter and defender for my team." Her ability to click with her middle and utilize her strength and versatility really shined.    

The Lady Pronghorns barely allowed Dakota College to get comfortable in the double digits on their third match of the tournament. Another 3-0 sweep under their belt was evened out as to the team's quality of play. They knew they had to keep defending their home court and they did just that to conclude their final appearance in the tournament.  

Cutting it close with the first set against Miles going 26-24, everyone was at the edge of their seats! The Lady Pronghorns through with the 'W' and finished the next two sets 25-15 and 25-9!  

Although being 5-0 at the start of the season, Gillette Volleyball continues to practice with determination to continue their upward climb. They are preparing for another run of four games in Powell across 4 days. Coach Julia shares that "it is still early in the season. Now that we have had the taste of success, the biggest challenge ahead is going to be staying hungry as we prepare for future tournaments and conference."  

Stay tuned to live streams for The Lady Pronghorns' upcoming road games.