Concordia Academy senior Gia Waters (1) attacks during the Beacons' 3-0 victory Tuesday night at Hill-Murray. Waters' 14 kills led the way for Concordia Academy. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine
Hill-Murray junior Payton Mackley (26) blocks a shot from Concordia Academy's Shaina Zinter (4). Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine
Kim Duis will tell you her success at Concordia Academy is just an extension of a rich and proud volleyball tradition at the small private school.
Two hundred and fifty career victories? Duis was at a loss to find personal meaning in reaching that milestone after Concordia Academy's 25-20, 25-10, 25-21 victory at Hill-Murray on Tuesday night.
Concordia Academy coach Kim Duis leads her team through a timeout. Duis earned her 250th career victory on Tuesday. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine
Trailing 7-6 in the second set, Concordia Academy went on a 13-0 run to set the tone on the way to a 25-20, 25-10, 25-21 victory at Hill-Murray on Tuesday night.
The Beacons (2-0), ranked sixth in the latest Class 2A coaches' poll, used the big arms of seniors Gia Waters and Shaina Zinter to establish a dominance over the Class 3A Pioneers (1-1). Waters had 14 kills and Zinter 10. Junior Ava McTeague added six kills and senior Makenzie Roettger had five.
"We hadn't seen arms like these yet," Hill-Murray coach Tim Walen said. "We hadn't been tested with the kinds of swings and power that they showed."
Hill-Murray started out with the lead in the first set and held it until Concordia Academy finally tied the game at 13-13. The Beacons went on to a 25-20 first-set victory.
The Pioneers started with the lead again in the second set and led 8-7 when Concordia Academy started its 13-point run. Kyla McTeague served up point after point until the Beacons led 20-8 and had the Pioneers reeling.