TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
Merrill vs Wausau East
On Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, the Merrill Varsity Girls Volleyball Team went to Wausau East for a battle between the Lady Jays and the Lady Lumberjacks that would last through five sets before the Jays emerged with the win.
The Wausau East Girls won the first two sets, but then the Merrill Girls started turning things around and went on to win the next three in a row with a fierce determination.
“Tonight Merrill Volleyball fought with every ounce we had,” Merrill Girls Varsity Volleyball Head Coach Kris Krug said after the match-up. “Players stepped up in critical moments and players came off the bench without hesitation and took care of business.”
“We were down 12-0 in set one, but managed to limp back to get ourselves in double digits,” she said. That set went to Wausau East, 10-25.
“In set two we played better, but still couldn’t get any rallies going,” Krug said. That set also went to Wausau East, 22-25.
Then set three saw the Lady Jays turn the tide. Merrill Girls took over, taking that set 25-16.
Set four the Wausau East Girls were battling for the victory, but the Merrill Girls wouldn’t let them have it. The Lady Jays took that one 25-19.
Now the heat was on. With each team having won two sets, the tie-breaking set was in play. And Merrill Girls were in it to win it.
“The entire night, the energy from Emerson Iwen boiled over and everyone started catching the fever,” Krug said. “It was so exciting to see them fight for every point and not give up. We needed this win and confidence boost. For us to be down by two sets and come back and win it was the greatest feeling.”
The Lady Jays did exactly that. They took the win for the night with a score of 16-14 in the last set and rode back to Merrill on a natural high, fueled by the adrenaline of a hard-won victory and an awesome come-back story.
Box Scores:
Merrill @ Wausau East – 3-2
10-25; 22-25; 25-16; 25-19; 16-14