Lady Cards split matches during a busy week

O’NEILL — The Randolph Lady Cardinal volleyball team split a couple of matches over the past week with Walthill and O’Neill St. Mary’s, both matches on the road.

On Sept. 23, the Lady Cards downed the Lady Blujays 25-18, 25-23 and 27-25 to pick up their third win of the season then traveled to O’Neill where they lost in a battle of the Lady Cardinals on Sept. 25, 25-8, 25-11 and 25-13.

In the battle of the Lady Cardinals, Randolph had trouble solving the St. Mary’s attack and fell by the 3-0 sweep.

Mabel Ngebeh led the Randolph attack with 4 kills; Peyton Thelen, Abby Backer and Jenna Guenther each smacked a couple of winners and Alaina Schulz had one.

Ella Graf tipped up eight set assists and Alexis Backhaus recorded eight digs and successfully passed along 24 service receptions.

“Our season so far has been pretty good,” said Backhaus. “We have a few wins which is good. We have been pretty good with pushing through. I feel like we just need to put everything together.”

In the win over the Lady Blujays, Ngebeh again led the Lady Redbird attack with nine winners in the match. Guenther recorded six kills and Backer added five.

Graf had three ace serves and set up 21 kills on the night.

Lilly Kuchta served a couple of aces and Backhaus recorded 13 good service receptions, Ngebeh tacked on 11.

The Lady Cards were scheduled to take on Creighton in Randolph on Sept. 30 before heading to Creighton on Oct. 7 for a triangular with the Lady Bulldogs and Neligh-Oakdale.

St. Mary’s 2525 25 Randolph 8 11 13

k=Kills, a=Ace Serves, b=Blocks, d=Digs, s=Set Assists, r=Serves Received.

RANDOLPH (3-12): Peyton Thelen 2k, 1b, 1s; Ella Graf 3d, 8s; Lilly Kuchta 2d, 5r; Abby Backer 2k, 1b, 1d; Alaina Schulz 1k; Addyson Wattier 2r; Mabel Ngebeh 4k, 1b, 8d, 17r; Brooke Meier 2d, 7r; Jenna Guenther 2k; Alexis Backhaus 8d, 2s, 24r.

Randolph 25 25 27 Walthill 18 23 25 RANDOLPH: P. Thelen 3k, 2b; Graf 3a, 2d, 21s; Kuchta 2a, 3d, 5r; Backer 5k, 1d, 1r; Wattier 1a; Ngebeh 9k, 1b, 2d, 11r; Meier 2d, 3r; Guenther 6k, 1b; Delayne Thelen 2d, 4r; Backhaus 1a, 7d, 2s, 13r.