Eureka Volleyball Team Continues Winning Ways

Eureka volleyball is moving along very well this season. The girls had a 3-1 win over Tonopah last week to run their current winning streak to eight matches and a current mark of 12-3.

Coach Katie Benson said, “Our outside hitter Alia Minoletti was key for us on offense recording 14 kills in the match. Shauna Brown did a good job running the offense. She and Alia played really good defense, too.” Brown registered eight service aces.

Defensively, Brown had 13 digs and 26 assists. Minoletti had 17 digs.

Eureka won the first game 25-13, but Tonopah responded with a 26-24 win in the second game. Eureka rebounded in game three with a 25-13 win, and then held off Tonopah for a 25-20 win in the final game.

Benson said the team was off to a good start in the second game with a 10-1 lead, “but for some reason they stopped playing and let the Muckers back in it.”

Eureka had a lead in the final game also and watched Tonopah creeping up the backstairs again, but Benson said, “We got a couple of points late in the game to hold them off.”

This week the Lady Vandals end their non-league schedule by going to Round Mountain on Friday, and then are at home Saturday to start league play with Owyhee, the defending league and tournament champion and last year’s state runner-up to Pahranagat Valley.

Eureka beat the Braves fairly handily 2-0 Aug. 31 at the Battle Mountain tournament.

They also had an earlier match with Round Mountain in Eureka Aug. 30, and won 3-0.

Eureka has now won 16 of the last 17 meetings between the teams, including 12 in a row as well as not losing a single set to the Knights in the previous 12 matches.

Benson said she is expecting the team “will continue to improve, keep the momentum we have going and move forward in the season.”

Although it is still a long ways off, Eureka will be the host site for the 1A North regionals Nov. 2-3.