Bluejay volleyball starts season 3-1

The Tabor College volleyball team opened the 2013 season over the weekend with a road trip to Orange City, Iowa, for the Red Raider Classic hosted by Northwestern College.

The Bluejays came away with a 3-1 record.

?That was one of the most dynamic volleyball environments that one of my teams has really been a part of,? coach Amy Ratzlaff said. ?It was great volleyball and with good teams.

?I think the women went in just playing hard, and it took them farther than they realized it could take them.?

Tabor opened action Friday with a 3-2 loss to Hastings College. After dropping the first two sets, 25-15, 25-20, Tabor rallied to win the next two, 26-24, 25-19, but fell in the final set, 15-11.

The Bluejays then faced host Northwestern?ranked 23rd in the NAIA Volleyball Coaches? Preseason Top 25 Poll?and won, 3-2.

Tabor lost the first set 25-23, then won the next two, 25-22 and 25-23. Northwestern answered with a 25-15 win in the fourth set, but Tabor sealed the victory with a 15-10 win in the final set.

The Bluejays picked up two wins Saturday, defeating Morn?ingside College, 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-10) and Dordt College, 3-2 (15-25, 15-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-12).

?The Dordt game, the last game, it was really fun to see the girls just really decide that they were going to play as hard as they could,? Ratzlaff said. ?I think as a coach, that?s the one thing you can?t always control is helping your players make that decision to play hard.

?When you see your team have relentless pursuit, as a coach, it will give you goosebumps.?

Jessie Vogts, a senior, led Tabor with 46 kills over four games. Senior setter Hollister Wolf contributed 150 assists. On defense, senior Amy Jo Maphet led the team with 59 digs.

?Everybody just brought their gifts to the table, and that?s all it takes to be a good team,? Ratzlaff said. ?It?s not about being good at everything, it?s about bringing what you can bring?that you?ve been given to bring?and it was fun.?

Coming?Tabor will host conference rival Southwestern College Wednesday at 7 p.m.

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