The first week of school was a busy one for White Hawks volleyball.

MWHS started the week Sept. 5 with a home game and win against Minneapolis South, going 3-0 (25-13, 25-11, 25-12). Though statistics were unavailable, senior Marissa Nelson had a strong run of serves in the second set. Senior Annika Weir ended the third with an ace.

On Sept. 7 the White Hawks were on the road to Watertown-Mayer for a very intense game. Three athletes had a service rating of 100%: Weir, and sophomores Bridget Budzius and Ashtyn Cupp. This is no small feat against the strong Watertown defense!

The White Hawks would respond in kind with their own strong defense, led by senior Kendal Richie and junior Mia Weaver who had a combined 48 digs and serve receive ratings above 2.2, indicating most of their passes gave the setter at least two available hitters. Additionally there was strong defense in the front row with Weaver, Meaghan Kreiser and Taryn Peglow putting up six blocks.

The offense responded by putting down a combined 46 kills. Sophomore Meaghan Kreiser led the team with 17, followed by Weaver and T. Peglow. The White Hawks beat Watertown-Mayer in four sets (25-27, 25-15, 25-20, 25-15) - the first win against Watertown in recent memory.

Junior Avery Olson is sighted for her strong performance in the JV game at Watertown, where she put up seven solo blocks.

The White Hawks continued their strong performance on Saturday, Sept. 9 at their home tournament, going 3-1 and finishing fourth. The White Hawks opened the tournament by beating Robinsdale Cooper in two sets. (25-5, 25-6). Four players had a service rating of 100%: Budzius, Cupp, T. Peglow, and sophomore Maria Neumann. Budzius also led the team with three aces. The team had 22 kills in just two sets.

The second game was a nail biter as the Hawks took on Buffalo. There were four aces by three athletes, including Weaver (2), Budzius (1), and Richie (1). Middles Kreiser and T. Peglow had strong performances, putting down five kills each, while outside hitters Budzius and Weaver put down a combined 14 kills.

Defending against an extremely strong offense was tough, but senior Maquinna Peglow took the lead, getting two solo blocks. Kreiser, Weaver and T. Peglow also had one solo block each. Budzius and Richie led the defense in the back row with a combined 12 digs to slow down Buffalo. Unfortunately, the White Hawks lost after forcing a third set to get their only loss of the day. Scores were: 25-27, 25-22, 9-15.

Play would continue as the White Hawks took on Bloomington Kennedy in the afternoon. Five athletes were able to serve at 100%; Budzius led with 16 serves including five ACES, followed by Weaver with 14 serves and three ACES. Weir, Nelson, and Richie also served at 100%. Weaver and Richie are recognized for having a serve receive rating of 2.0, allowing the setter at least two hitters from the pass.

M. Peglow, Kreiser, and Budzius put down 18 kills in just two sets, while T. Peglow had a solo block in the middle. Cupp had 33 assists, while Richie, and Weaver had seven digs each. The Hawks would win in two sets. (25-9, 25-14)

The final game was against Orono, and the Hawks would come out fighting and put down 12 aces by five athletes (Weaver, Cupp, Richie, Budzius, and Kreiser). Budzius and Weaver were strong on the serve receive with ratings at 2.25 and 2.6, respectively. The Hawks would put down 16 kills by five athletes and 17 digs to win in two sets (25-12, 25-13). Junior Taryn Peglow is sighted for having an amazing day at the tournament.

The White Hawks are 10-2 for the season and their next game is Tuesday, Sept. 12 at home against Dassel-Cokato.