Garden City rolls right through Lamar

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Clarendon, TX-Patrick Hiltz's team needed this performance in a big way.

Remi Vargas had 14 assists, Alli Meng and Hannah Brandt combined for 13 kills, and Garden City rebounded by blasting Lamar in three sets 25-10, 25-15, 25-22.

"I was really impressed with the way we bounced back from a simply awful performance in the first match and played so smoothlay and confidently in the second," Hiltz said afterwards.

Fresh off a three-set loss to Clarendon, Garden City appeared energized. Vargas dropped in a service ace, Meng had a kill, and Lamar committed an attack error that put the Broncbusters up 3-0. They stretched that lead to 10-3 after four straight Lopes' miscues. Vargas then setup Meng for a powerful spike, Brandt lasered one just inside the boundary, and the Broncbusters were up double digits.

"Hopefully we can find a group of players that want to step up and lock down their spots in the rotation before we start conference play," Hiltz added. "

The second set was almost a carbon copy of the first. After Lamar took a brief lead, Brandt stabilized the Broncbuster attack with a kill, which was followed by four Lamar errors that put Garden City up three. Vargas then setup Baldowsky beautifully at the net, Meng powered one down the middle, and McKenna Jagels chipped in a crosscourt kill that ended the set.

"We have talent throughout this roster," Hiltz stated. "These kinds of matches only make us better."

 n the third, Garden City dusted off somewhat of a slow start with a Baldowsky kill and a Maria Carrusca block that put the road team up by four. That was followed up by a Lamar attack error where three players ran into each other in the middle of the floor. Moments later, Vargas found Meng, who detonated on Lamar's front line, Jagels dropped in three straight aces, and the Broncbusters had their second victory of the season.

Next up: Garden City vs. North Platte (Northeast Volleyball tourney)-Friday, Aug. 27 5 p.m.