Wauneta-Palisade volleyball facing tall tasks

    Five matches in three days pushed the Wauneta-Palisade volleyball team last week.
    The Broncos split a triangular with Kansas schools St. Francis and Rawlins County Thursday.
    WP lost to St. Francis (7-3), who hosted the triangular, in the evening’s first match. Holding serve was a struggle for the Broncos in the first set. WP only scored multiple points three times and lost the set 15-25. Set two saw a slight improvement, but St. Francis still forced quick side outs by the Broncos. WP lost the set 17-25.
    WP picked up a win over Rawlins County (6-7) in its second match of the night. The first set stayed close through 15-13, before Halle Bardsley served the Broncos to a 22-13 led. WP sided out to win the match 25-17. In set two, with GraCee Goings serving WP was able to open up a 14-8 lead. Chloe Stehno had back-to-back aces to help increase the lead to 22-9. The Broncos traded points with the Buffaloes to close out the 25-19 win.
    Saturday Wauneta-Palisade headed to Culbertson for its pool games in the Hitchcock County tournament.
    The Broncos faced Arapahoe (5-4) in the morning’s first match. WP trailed 9-12 in the first set. A serving run by Stehno erased the deficit and gave the Broncos an 18-14 lead on their way to a 25-20 win. Wauneta-Palisade took control of set two. The Broncos jumped out to a 15-12 lead, but Arapahoe rallied in one rotation to take the lead. WP was out scored 7-13 down the stretch of the 22-25 loss. The third set stayed close until WP scored six straight points with Goings serving. The Broncos’ 15-12 lead vanished with Arapahoe’s next server, but WP bounced back to regain the lead, 22-20. The Warriors closed out the match with five straight points to get the win, leaving WP on the short side of the 22-25 score.
    Axtell (8-2) swept the Broncos in their next match. WP trailed 3-9, but came back to tie the first set at 12. The Broncos couldn’t keep pace with the Wildcats and lost the set 17-25. WP was within one point, 12-13, in the second set before a seven-point run by Axtell. The Broncos lost the set 14-25.
    The day ended with a win over Hitchcock County. WP had an 11-10 lead before Peyton Cox served five-straight points and gave the Broncos enough cushion to win 25-17. The teams traded side outs in the second set. Two aces by Stehno gave WP some breathing room, 13-9. A late serving surge by Cali Cox set up match point and WP won 25-20.
Up next
    The Broncos have a slew of tough games ahead of them.
    Tuesday WP hosted Southwest. The Roughriders are 7-2 and ranked ninth in Class C2 by the Omaha Would Herald.
    WP hosts Maywood/Hayes Center Thursday. The Wolves are 10-0 and ranked first in Class D1.
    Next Tuesday will be the Paxton tournament. The Broncos have won the past five tournaments, but each team in the tournament is playing well.
    Paxton is 7-1, Wallace is 8-2 and Potter-Dix is 10-0. Paxton is the only one of the group that is rated, coming in at eighth in Class D2.