The Langford Area volleyball squad saw its season come to a close with a straight set loss to Aberdeen Christian in quarterfinal play of the Region 1B tournament last week Tuesday.
The Knights swept the Lady Lions 25-18, 25-20, 25-12 for their second win over LA this season. Coach Susan Larson’s squad finished its season with an 11-21 record.
Fourth-seeded Aberdeen Christian lost to top-seeded Northwestern 25-21, 25-23, 25-20 to advance to the SoDak 16, while #2 Warner derailed #3 Hitchcock-Tulare 25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21 for the other Region 1B SoDak 16 slot. Northwestern (34-2), seeded second among SoDak 16 teams, played #15 Castlewood (20-10) and three seed Warner (30-6) battled #14 Colman-Egan (27-6) last night for Class B state tournament berths. The state event will be held in Rapid City Nov. 20-22.
“We ended our season against a good team in Aberdeen Christian,” noted Larson. “We played two really tough sets. Unfortunately, we let the third set get away from us. Overall, I thought the Lions played well. The end of a season is always tough.
“We will miss seniors Mariah Tosse and Paytyn Marlow tremendously,” added Larson. “These two are quiet leaders but they are positive, hard working and dedicated. They served their duties as captains well. I saw a lot of improvement in the girls this season. They are a great bunch to work with and their passion for volleyball is apparent.
“I think our biggest growth as a team was our defense,” Larson concluded. “I was often impressed with their hustle and effort. This last week of practice, I have really noticed more confidence and intensity while attacking the volleyball. I believe the Lions have wrapped up their season with pride, progress and a promise for the future.”
Emily Olson led the Lady Lions at the net with five kills, a pair of blocks and nine digs. Lizzie Gustafson added three kills, two blocks, and 10 digs, while Paytyn Marlow had 11 assists.
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