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Waconia holds off Moorhead in five-set thriller to earn win

By Ryan Williamson, SportsEngine , 08/25/17, 9:45AM CDT

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After trading the first four sets, the Wildcats willed their way to a season-opening victory.



Waconia Senior Danielle Pioske digs a serve against Moorhead. The Wildcats defeated the Spuds in five sets Friday night in Waconia. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine


Waconia Sophomore Kali Wolf returns a Moorhead serve Friday night in Waconia. The Wildcats defeated the Spuds 3-2. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

If you were trying to find Waconia senior outside hitter Danielle Pioske during Friday’s match against Moorhead, you didn’t have to look very far.

When the veteran hitter wasn’t on the front line smashing kills, she was in the back row, picking up timely digs and making life difficult for the Spuds while serving.

This all-around effort from Pioske, and fellow outside hitter Kali Wolf, proved to be enough as the Wildcats (1-0) defeated Moorhead (0-1), 3-2 (25-23, 24-26, 25-18, 14-25, 17-15).

Waconia coach Katie Keogh said that players will sometimes ask her about what they should specialize in on the court to be most successful.

“I try to tell them that versatility is key,” Keogh said. “And usually, they go along with that. Our girls want to be on the floor and be competing all the time.”

That can be shown with Pioske and Wolf. The duo impact the Wildcats wherever they are. In the second set, Pioske led a furious rally while serving in the back row. One set later, Wolf served while Waconia went on a 6-0 run and eventually won 25-18.

But while these two versatile players helped the Wildcats, the Spuds, who are ranked No. 9 in Class 3A in the coaches’ poll, didn't roll over. Moorhead, which has appeared in each of the past two state tournaments, rolled in the fourth set and went point-for-point with Waconia.

Spuds’ senior outside hitter Lexi Gilbertson led the charge. She also played all over the court and led Moorhead with 17 kills in the match.

Gilbertson continued to challenge the Wildcats each step of the way. However, Pioske and Wolf were up for the challenge. Pioske scored four consecutive points in the decisive set, all via kill. Wolf, meanwhile, finished up the long-winded match with a match-clinching kill.

When examining the skillsets of Wolf and herself, Pioske was quick to acknowledge the differences and similarities the players have.

“We balance each other well and I think that’s what makes us tough to defend,” Pioske said. “She is able to get up there and hit the ball hard while I am more of a tool-hitter.”

For the Spuds, Friday’s loss might have been tough to swallow. But with the season just getting underway, Moorhead coach Char Lien noticed plenty of positives.

“Anytime we can play five sets and get pushed to the max, I am satisfied,” Lien said. “There were definitely a lot of things to learn.”

The Spuds will quickly turn around and play at Minnetonka on Saturday as part of a weekend swing around the metro.

“We don’t get down to the metro much, but it is always good experience for us,” Lien said. “It’s quicker. Every kid is quality. We need to see teams with strong skillsets like this one.”

Playing top-10 competition such as Moorhead also benefits the Wildcats. Come section time, Waconia will go up against some of the state’s best, including perennial contenders Prior Lake and Chaska.

“This is definitely a good challenge for us,” Keogh said. “This gave both teams a chance to face adversity. This was a huge challenge I’m happy we got to go through.” 

First Report

After getting off to 3-0 start in the decisive fifth set, Waconia (1-0) held off Moorhead (0-1) in a five-set thriller, winning 3-2 (25-23, 24-26, 25-18, 14-25, 17-15) in a season-opening victory at Waconia Middle School.

The Spuds, who are ranked No. 9 in the Class 3A coaches’ preseason poll, forced a fifth set by dominating the fourth set. Moorhead was led by a strong presence at the net, which included senior outside hitter Lexi Gilbertson.

In the fifth set, the strong play from the Wildcats’ front-line led to the victory. Senior outside hitter Danielle Pioske scored four consecutive points for Waconia in the final fifth set.

Kali Wolf also played a big part in the Wildcats’ victory. The sophomore outside hitter helped Waconia on a 6-0 run in set No. 3 and picked up the winning kill.


Moorhead Junior Brook Carney taps a shot over the net against Waconia. The Spuds fell to the Wildcats in five sets Friday night in Waconia. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

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