Raiders go pink and raise $1,500

Prior to last week's match against East Ridge, the Hastings girls volleyball team had been busy. They had a big fundraiser planned to fight breast cancer, and they were busy selling T-shirts to mark the event, called Dig Pink.

The team ended up selling 350 T-shirts, getting some contributions from area businesses and then was able to donate $1,500 to the Side Out Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps to bring awareness to breast cancer.

"Our goal was $500, so we are super excited that we raised three times that amount," coach Rita Girgen said. "There were a lot of people there - there was pink everywhere. The fans were great. There were people in the gym that I had never seen before."

Girgen thanked the sponsors of the event, a list that included Astar Thoroughbreds, Green Mill, Special Tee's, Merchants Bank, the Bierstube, Victoria's Photography and Miller Orthodontics.

As for the game itself, that didn't go quite so well. Hastings lost to East Ridge in three games, 25-17, 25-14 and 25-12.

Against the Raptors, Biancca DuFour led Hastings in kills with 11.

Kaylyn Nicklay had nine set assists and Tabitha McCloud had eight.

DuFour and Courtney Van De Velde each had a service ace.

Devon Santelman and McCloud each had three serving points.

Nicklay led the team with 17 digs and DuFour had nine.

Van De Velde and Nicklay each had three block assists. Sabrina Astar had two and Cydney Lovich had two.

Shelby Wassink led the team with a serve-receive-average of 2.46. Santelman was second with a 1.76.

On Thursday, Oct. 6, Hastings lost to Forest Lake in four games. The Rangers won games one and two, 25-19 and 25-20.

Hastings won the third game, 25-21, but then lost the fourth and deciding game, 25-20. Despite the loss, Girgen was excited about some of the things she saw from her team against the Rangers.

"We looked like the team we started out the season as - when we were 3-0 and 6-3," she said. "It was really fun to see the girls step it up and look like the team that started the season."

DuFour finished with 17 kills. Heather Petersen had five.

Nicklay had 21 set assists and McCloud had eight.

DuFour and Van De Velde each had two service aces.

DuFour had 14 serving points and Van De Velde had 10.

Santelman had nine digs and DuFour had six.

Nicklay and Astar each had three solo blocks.

Astar and Lovich each had two block assists.

Santelman led in serve-receive-average with a mark of 2.4. Wassink had a 1.85.

Hastings is now 7-13 on the season.

STMA tournament

Hastings played at the first St. Michael-Albertville Midwest Fall Classic tournament.

Hastings lost to Tracy-Milroy, Moorhead, Litchfield and Monticello in two games before beating Benilde-St. Margaret's in three games. Against BSM, Hastings won 25-15, 23-25, 15-9.

"To end the tournament with a win was a big deal for us," Girgen said. "Every match we played, we got better. At this point in the season, that's what our goal is. We're constantly trying to improve."

The tournament format provided Hastings an opportunity for some pressure situations, too, and that was something Girgen was thankful for. There were six courts of action, people everywhere and the matches were relatively even.

"We needed a tournament like that," she said. "That kind of pressure situation is great. You can't mimic that in a regular season game or in a practice. That part of it was great for us."

Girgen said Biancca DuFour had a great weekend.

"She just stepped up as a leader," Girgen said. "You can see the way she is handling herself - she is peaking right now. It's fun to watch."

Shelby Wassink played at libero for the Raiders and had a strong tournament, Girgen said.

"By the end of the day on Saturday, she owned that position," Girgen said. "She did a heck of a job, considering she hasn't trained in that position for more than a year. It was really exciting to see her adapt to that new position."

Kaylyn Nicklay and Sabrina Astar also had a good tournament, Girgen said.

Tags: raider volleyball, sports, hastings, spiral, minnesota