MANKATO – Coach Gina Eppen doesn’t mind hearing the compliments.

Saturday, September 15, 2001

MANKATO – Coach Gina Eppen doesn’t mind hearing the compliments.

But she’d rather have a victory.

Eppen’s Albert Lea High School volleyball team continued to make progress against the Big Nine’s best, taking Mankato West to four games Thursday night before falling 15-4, 15-8, 13-15, 15-9.

Afterward, Eppen heard the usual comments. It’s been a long time since the Tigers played the Scarlets that tough. It was the best effort and hustle people have seen from the Tigers in a long time.

&uot;It’s a good thing to get comments like that, but it’s also a little frustrating,&uot; said Eppen. &uot;We looked real tough in the third game. If we can maintain play like that for three games, we can win one of these matches.

&uot;We’re building confidence bit by bit. We’re getting there.&uot;

The difference Thursday was the Tigers’ inability to consistently block the Scarlets’ big hitters.

&uot;West is a good team,&uot; said Eppen. &uot;They ran a lot of quick sets, a lot of slides. They got between our front-row people, which really put our back row on the move. Our girls, especially Jenny Vanderploeg, really dug in and did the best they could.&uot;

Eppen said the Tigers defeated themselves in the first game with missed serves.

&uot;We really went out to win the third game, and we did it effectively,&uot; said Eppen.

Amie Hartman led the Tigers with seven kills, adding 10 digs and one block. Vanderploeg had a team-high 24 digs along with five kills, one block and three service aces.

Other Albert Lea leaders: Aubree Page, nine blocks, three kills, eight digs; Beth Kolling, 15 set assists, four blocks, two kills; Ashley Rankin, eight assists, three kills, one ace; Whitney Sorensen, six kills, six digs.

The Tigers, 0-2 in the Big Nine and 1-4 overall return to Big Nine play Tuesday at Mankato East.