After one match, the Alden-Conger Knights are exactly where they want to be at the end of the season: Alone atop the Gopher Conference volleyball standings.

Wednesday, September 01, 1999

After one match, the Alden-Conger Knights are exactly where they want to be at the end of the season: Alone atop the Gopher Conference volleyball standings.

The Knights, who finished second in the conference the last three years after winning eight consecutive championships, opened the 1999 campaign with a 3-0 conference victory at Glenville-Emmons Tuesday night. Alden-Conger won 15-10, 15-10, 15-5.

&uot;I think we played well for our first match,&uot; said Knights coach Jenny Hanson. &uot;We need to keep the communication going. At times that kind of laxed. But overall our movement was pretty good. As the season goes on, our movement will improve, but overall it was good for a season opener.&uot;

Glenville-Emmons coach Craig Rayman said the Wolverines’ problem was execution of the fundamentals. His team was 24-for-36 passing and 41-for-54 on serve receive, far below what Rayman expects.

&uot;I wasn’t happy with our play at all,&uot; said Rayman. &uot;Not taking anything away from (the Knights) – they played well. But we need to pass the ball better so our setters can get it to our hitters.&uot;

Hanson, meanwhile, was extremely pleased with her team’s serve receive – 50-for-52 for 96 percent.

&uot;That’s very good for a first match,&uot; said Hanson.

The Knights served 93 percent, 66-for-71, with nine aces.

Emily Brummer led A-C at the service line, going 24-for-24 with five aces. Tessa Niebuhr was 13-for-13 with two aces.

Brummer and Niebuhr were also the leaders on attacks, with Brummer 16-for-20 with eight kills and Niebuhr 14-for-17 with five kills.

Diana Wichmann was 34-for-37 setting with 11 assists, Shelly Zeller 30-for-32 with eight assists.

Leaders on serve receive were Niebuhr 11-for-11, Alison Newman 8-for-8 and Karen Martinson 8-for-8.

Hanson said Brummer showed great leadership as a senior captain.

The Wolverines were 35-for-41 serving with no aces.

Three G-E players were perfect at the line – Aly Rayman 8-for-8, Sheri Lair 6-for-6 and Jaci Madson 5-for-5. Megan Avery was 13-for-15.

Rayman led at the net with four kills, three blocks for kills and two tips for kills. Avery and Arianne Learn added two kills apiece. Lair and Katie Erickson each had an ace block.

Avery had four assists, converting 27 of 31 sets. Rayman was 19-for-20 with one assist, Sarah Wegner 6-for-6 with two assists.

Madson was 6-for-6 on serve receive, Lair 5-for-5.

Both teams return to action next Tuesday, when the Knights travel to NRHEG and the Wolverines play at Medford.Wolverines, 3-0