Hall, Bureau Valley win conference openers

The Hall Lady Red Devils and Bureau Valley Storm kicked off the 2008 conference season in style, Thursday.

Hall defeated Streator 25-10, 25-16 in the confines of Red Devil Gym-nasium, Kendall Rush (7 kills) and Mickey Victor (6) led the hitting attack from the setting of Erin Polte (17 assists). Cally Kowalski handled the back row defense (8 digs) and served for eight points. Lindsay Wallaert (11) and Christina Richardson (9) led the Hall serving while Kelle Nett had three blocks and Carly Prokup and Rush two each.

The Storm traveled to Morrison with a little payback mission in mind from their loss there last year which knocked BV out from the Three Rivers title perch. They got the job done by rallying for a 23-25, 25-12, 25-14 victory.

“We lost there, so I know my returning seniors where happy about the victory,” BV coach Vicki Litherland said. “This was a total team victory, as you can tell we spread the glory around, everyone served their individual role.”

Litherland said her team communicated and played relaxed and confident.

Alyssa Pursley had the hot hand for the Storm with 12 points and four aces. Caitlin Blaisdell added seven points, four kills and seven digs. Lindsey Kieser’s (8 kills) and Emma Dale’s (5 kills, 4 blocks) gave the Storm an edge at the net, while libero Rikki Kessler (11 digs) cleaned up the back row.

It was a long night on the road as all three matches went three games. The BV sophomores won their first match of the season 16-25, 25-18, 25-18, while the freshman lost, 25-9, 22-25, 24-26.

Annawan fell in conference play with a 17-25, 27-25, 25-20 loss to AlWood. Senior captain Aron Jackson had 15 kills.

In other area action, Putnam County defeated Fieldcrest 23-25, 25-21, 25-20, and El Paso-Gridley defeated Henry-Senachwine 26-24, 25-17.

Hall, Bureau Valley and Princeton will all play in Saturday’s Rock Falls Invitational, which starts at 8 a.m.

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