Riverside Lady Rebels earn State 1A berth

The Riverside Lady Rebels went to the Class 1A West Regional tournament as the number one team in the Northwest.  They were up against some tough competition. 

The Rebels beat Saratoga in four sets, with final scores of 25-22, 19-25, 25-11, 26-24. They next faced Cokeville, losing in four sets, 25-17, 21-25, 19-25, 20-25.  The Rebels then went on to play the Burlington Huskies, vying for a spot at the state tournament, beating them in four sets, 22-25, 25-15, 25-22, 28-26.  The Lady Rebels played their fourth and final game of the weekend to see who would be third and fourth seed at State, losing to Encampment in five sets, 18-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, and 11-15. 

The team had an average serving percentage of 89.2%, 34 aces,
188 kills, 178 assists, 248 digs, and 17 blocks.  Brooklynn Paxton held the high serving percentage of 96.7%, had 68 of the teams digs, six aces, and 87 kills. Vinaya VanderPloeg had a serving percentage of 93.2%, 75 digs, seven aces and 75 kills. 

 “We pushed through the weekend and gave it our all and it helped us recognize what we need to work on to be ready for state,” said Brooklynn Paxton.

Johnna Clifford was able to get 92.5% of her serves over the net and had 30 digs.  Kennedy Bassett was credited with 12 aces, 30 digs and 165 assists.

 “We played a lot of volleyball in the two-day regional tournament. The girls worked hard and pushed through when needed.  Although our goal was to come out on top, we gained the competitive court time needed to determine areas we need to find tune for the state tournament. Small things can make a big difference in the end and we intend to make the adjustments needed to hit the next level. All the girls, whether or not they are on the court, are making an impact on the success of the team. The enthusiasm from the bench along with the fan support was uplifting for the team” commented coach Cindi Smith.

“All the teams that qualified for state played over three sets in their final matches of the regional tournament, so it should be a competitive state tournament. We are looking forward to having the opportunity to step on the court at the Wyoming Ford Center to unite and go “all out” as a team.”

 Kennedy Bassett said, “Regionals were tough. We played some good teams. Coming in to state we are going to have to play together and push each other to play our best.” 

 Added Josie Long: “Our side of the regions is always pretty difficult, but we worked together through it all and ultimately achieved our goal of going to state. State is a new slate and we have been working to unite together, we have what it takes, we just have to put it all together and that’s our goal.” 

The Riverside Lady Rebels’ first matchup at state is against Southeast, the No. 1 seed from the East.  The two teams play today (Thursday, Nov. 7), at 6 p.m. at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper.  With a win, they’d play at
6 p.m. Friday; with a loss, at 2:30 p.m.