Even though Stanley County fell in three sets to Herreid-Selby Area on Tuesday earlier this week, there was a lot of good head coach Keely Bracelin took from that match. Her girls kept it competitive all the way throughout, and played out some very long points that just didn’t happen to go their way.
So when Thursday night rolled around and the 7-4 Gettysburg Lady Battlers came to Fort Pierre, Stanley County felt like they were ready to compete and pull off a big win at home. And that is exactly what they did.
The Lady Buffaloes have been resilient throughout the year, after a losing streak to start the season, they turned a corner in the Big Dakota Conference after winning a few matches and almost taking down a couple top teams in the bracket. They would lean on that resiliency Thursday after falling in set one 25-15. The bounce back was strong, as the girls took an early 6-1 lead and would ride that cushion to a 25-18 set two victory.
Set three was about as tightly contested as a set could get with neither team stretching out a lead to larger than three points. After Gettysburg’s Layla Cronin had an incredibly impressive first set, the Lady Buffaloes were able to steer it away from her direction and in-turn limiting her production. The set went back and forth, each time Stanley County felt like they were going to take the win Gettysburg would have an answer for them. In extra-points, the Lady Buffaloes were able to win the electrifying set 29-27 and take a 2-1 lead.
The Lady Buffs started set four in similar fashion to set two, taking an early lead which they rode all the way to a 25-18 win and completed the home upset over a very talented Gettysburg squad. It did not come easy as Taylor Long of Gettysburg made more than a few miraculous plays to keep points alive all the way throughout. However, JoRayah Walker commanded the middle of floor and led her team in kills, earning her Baumann Lumber Player of the Game honors.
It was a true team effort from Stanley County, getting production from Austyn Norman, Timber Hanson, Addy Deal and others. The Lady Buffaloes improved to 5-11 with the win while Gettysburg moved to 7-5. Both teams have now won three of their last five matches.
The Buffaloes hope this upset will roll over into tonight’s homecoming football game when the undefeated Parkston Trojans come to town. Stanley County will face off with Mobridge-Pollock on the first of October while Gettysburg will take on Sunshine Bible Academy on Saturday.
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