Contributing writer
With the regular season over for Wheat State League standings, the Goessel High School volleyball team continues to improve as it nears postseason play.
In a home match with Wakefield, the Bluebirds dominated from the start. Goessel defeated the Bombers in two sets, more than doubling the score on the visitors, winning 25-11, 25-12.
In the second match of the night for Goessel, the Bluebirds faced the Redskins from Little River. Little River and Goessel had defeated Wakefield in similar manner, so the anticipation was that the Redskins-Bluebirds game would be competitive.
Goessel led early in the match, but several Bluebird errors allowed Little River to take a lead 11-10. Goessel retook the lead as the Bluebird front row of Page Hiebert, Erin Brubaker, Alicen Meysing, Gentry Thiessen, and Olivia Duerksen pounded or tipped for points.
Makayla King and Shelbi Stultz hustled in the back row to keep balls in play, and Alyssa Booton kept setting up the hitters with useable balls. When the Redskin offense got stuck on 16, the Bluebirds advanced to win 25-18.
In the second set, Anna Wiens served two aces and Little River called a time-out trailing 7-2. Goessel maintained their lead 19-13, but the inspired Redskins closed the deficit, getting as close as 22-21. Goessel called time-out to regroup and watched Little River err to give the Bluebirds another point.
Thiesen tipped for a point, and Booton fought a ball out of the net, which Brubaker finished with a punishing hit. Goessel won 25-22 for their only Tuesday home game of the season.
Goessel fans will have a chance to see the Bluebirds again at home as they are hosts for the sub-state volleyball tournament on Oct. 26. This week the Bluebirds will travel to Hope on Saturday to participate in the Wheat State League tournament, hoping to repeat as league tournament champions. Goessel is now 22-7 for the season.