“It was a definite game of momentum tonight, and just when you thought you had something going, the tide would switch,” said Underwood Head coach Diane Ross.  “We passed the ball pretty well tonight, and that's a good sign.  We are still working on controlling the parts of the game we can control.  Hillcrest plays a hustling defense and caught us off balance a few times. Brooke Hovland had a good night for us, getting 15 kills, 3 ace serves and 14 digs.”

Kayla Rocholl added 12 kills and 17 digs.  Ally Johnson added 10 kills and 6 ace blocks.  Josey Bugbee was a steady all-around player for the Rockets, getting 4 kills, 5 ace serves, 9 digs and a block.  Shaynah Smith added 5 kills, Amber Frigaard served 4 aces and added 18 set assists and Reese Richards led with 20 set assists.  

The Rockets are now 2-0 in the conference, 2-1 overall and will travel to the Tournament of Roses in Ada on Saturday.

Hillcrest was led by Olivia Stanton (11 set assists, 16 digs, 23/23 serving, 4 kills), Mackenzie Foss (3 kills, 30 digs), Madi Foss (3 kills, 14 digs), Hope Adams (6 kills), Marie Ruud (3 kills, 12 digs), Audra Ewan (7 set assists, 3 digs) and Molly McGuire (2 kills).

“I’m very proud of the team effort tonight in our first conference match of the season,” stated Hillcrest Head Coach Debi Foss. “Our progress from just a week ago was so rewarding to see and it definitely made the girls even hungrier for more. Even though we lost, we were competitive in all of the matches and I can see that we are making strides with our passing, defense, and team communication. The Rockets had numerous tips around the block and aggressive hitting from all zones. I loved how our girls kept fighting and getting to the ball. Mackenzie Foss was all over the court and had some amazing digs. Olivia Stanton provided a great all-around effort. Tonight we served 91% which is an improvement from our first two games. Olivia, Mackenzie and freshman Madi Foss served very well going 55/56. Freshman Hope Adams came off the bench and made great contributions defending at the net and having 6 kills. We are on a huge learning curve especially with our hitting efficiency, but I hope we’ll get some good opportunities at the tournament in Pelican Rapids this Saturday.”