There wasn’t much time for Belle Plaine to unwind following its four-set loss to New Prague on Monday. Less than 24 hours later, the Tigers faced Southwest Christian, which is ranked No. 6 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll.
What was Belle Plaine coach Rich Foust’s plan for that short turnaround? Ice baths.
“I only really do (ice baths) on back-to-backs because the girls don’t like them,” Foust said. “It’s a good way for them recover quickly.”
Mikayla Coops had 20 kills as Belle Plaine rallied from a loss on Monday to defeat Southwest Christian 25-20, 25-20, 25-20 on Tuesday at Southwest Christian High School.
The Tigers, ranked No. 8 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll, took control from the start. Belle Plaine’s offense was paced by Coops, a junior right hitter who finished with at least five kills in each of the three sets. She hit her stride by the third set when she had nine kills to help the Tigers finish off the No. 6-2A Stars.
Morgan Kruger, a junior outside hitter, finished with 11 kills. Much of the Tigers’ (3-2, 3-1) offense went through senior setter Paige Narveson who had 31 assists in the match.
The Stars (5-3, 2-1) lost their second consecutive match despite a strong showing from junior right-side hitter Mackenzie Close. She led the way with 17 kills for Southwest Christian, which lost its first-ever Minnesota River Conference volleyball match. This is the Stars’ first season in the conference.
The MN Volleyball Hub polls are for entertainment purposes only.