JACKSON – With all the improvement and enthusiasm surrounding the Albert Lea High School volleyball team, a strong showing in the Jackson County Central Invitational seemed like a sure thing.

Tuesday, September 18, 2001

JACKSON – With all the improvement and enthusiasm surrounding the Albert Lea High School volleyball team, a strong showing in the Jackson County Central Invitational seemed like a sure thing.

An injury and a family commitment prevented it.

The Tigers, missing two starters much of the time, won one of four matches.

&uot;Things started out fairly well,&uot; said coach Gina Eppen. &uot;But it turned into kind of a bad day.&uot;

Setter Beth Kolling sustained what’s believed to be a fractured thumb in the second match. The Tigers’ leader at the net, Jenny Vanderploeg, missed the last match to attend a baptism.

The Tigers opened against what Eppen called a tough and tall host team, which handed ALHS a 15-13, 15-6 loss.

&uot;Still, it was some of the best volleyball I’ve seen us play,&uot; said Eppen. &uot;It was encouraging.&uot;

So was the next match, a 17-15, 12-15, 15-12 victory over Red Rock Central. Kelly Anderson stepped in for Kolling early in game three and, according to Eppen, did a nice job.

The Tigers went on to lose 15-10, 15-5 to Pipestone-Jasper and 15-10, 15-3 to Westbrook-Walnut Grove.

&uot;We looked like weren’t mentally ready for those two matches,&uot; said Eppen.

For the day, the Tigers were 170-for-190 serving. Eight of their 13 aces came against Red Rock Central.

The Tigers’ statistical leaders for the tournament: Ashley Rankin, 28 assists, 10 digs, three blocks, three kills, two aces; Kolling, 17 assists, nine kills, six blocks, two aces, three digs; Anderson, 16 assists, 11 digs, one block; Vanderploeg, 18 kills, 23 digs, three blocks, one ace; Aubree Page, 21 kills, 14 blocks, 14 digs, two aces; Whitney Sorensen, 16 kills, 13 blocks, four aces, 10 digs; Amie Hartman, 13 digs, five kills, two aces; Amanda Arendt, six digs, two kills.

Despite the injury to Kolling, Eppen said she’s optimistic as the 2-7 Tigers travel to Mankato East Tuesday night.

&uot;We really are playing better volleyball, the girls recognize that,&uot; said Eppen. &uot;With Beth out, it’s especially important to stay together as a team. Hopefully, it will pull them even tighter than they are.&uot;