Eagles place third at Rapids Invite

The Northland Pines varsity volleyball team got in multiple tournaments last week down in the Wisconsin valley, led by a third-place finish at the Wisconsin Rapids Invite at Lincoln High School Aug. 29.

Pines also split four games at the SPASH Invite last Tuesday in Stevens Point.

The Eagles finished their day in Rapids by going 3-2 in five matches. They collected wins against Wausau East, Abbotsford and Wisconsin Rapids, while they fell in two close and challenging matches against Madison East and Reedsburg.

“Proud of how the girls competed today. We played some good volleyball, learned a lot and have a pretty clear picture of what we need to work on as we dial things in,” said Pines Head Coach Julie Smith after the tournament. “We brought three JV players along, and all three had opportunities to get on the court and did a great job. Lots of positives from today to build on.”

It took three sets to dispatch the Lumberjacks of Wausau East as Pines fell in the opener 23-25. A big response tied the match at 1-1 after the Eagles won the second set by double digits, 25-12. In a close third, the Eagles came away with a 15-13 win to seal the deal.

Extra points were needed in the opening set against Abbotsford, where Northland Pines won a lengthy 27-25 match. It carried that momentum into the second for a 25-12 win to claim the sweep.

Reedsburg and Madison East were back-to-back matches for the Eagles, both ending in 0-2 losses. Reedsburg won sets of 20-25 and 23-25 and Madison East picked up wins of 22-25 and 20-25. Coach Smith said Madison East and Reedsburg were the types of matches the Eagles need early on in the season.

“Madison East challenged us with their short court play, and Reedsburg was strong at the net with a solid offensive team. Both matches gave us good competition, which is what we need early in the season in order to grow,” she explained.

That put Pines in a match with host Wisconsin Rapids, where the Eagles won in three sets to finish third in the tournament.

In Stevens Point earlier in the week, the Eagles made it into the gold bracket after pool-play wins against Green Bay N.E.W Lutheran and Reedsville. They then dropped two matches against D1 SPASH in three and De Pere in two sets.

The Eagles went on to host a quad at Northland Pines High School this past Tuesday in Eagle River and will open conference play this Thursday, Sept. 3, against Antigo at 7 p.m. inside the Fieldhouse.