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By Levi Zimmerman
After knocking off the number eight and number nine ranked volleyball teams in Division three, River Ridge and Darlington, respectively, the Pointers hosted Cochrane-Fountain City in a sectional semifinal Thursday night. The Pointers could not keep their season rolling, as they fell to the Pirates, 3-1.
Mineral Point was able to sustain the momentum they built throughout regionals by taking the first match by a score of 25-19.
That momentum would not last the whole night, as the Pirates elevated their play with some strong performances around the net, and some well executed digs. Cochrane-Fountain City would go on to win the next three matches with the fourth match showing a dominant performance; the Pirates won 25-12.
Pointer, Kennedy Kabat, led the team in kills by recording nine, as well as leading the team in blocks with two. Kennedy Wenger notched seven blocks, and Emma Steffes had six.
Senior Macy Aschliman led the team in aces with three. Kabat and Wenger each had two, along with Ella Chambers.
Senior Ivy Lawinger recorded 14 assists, with the other 17 coming via Mallory Lindsey.
For digs, Chambers and Lindsey each notched 25 and 14, respectively.
Although the Pointers were defeated Thursday night, the girls' spirits remained unwavered. There was constant cheering and exclamations of support from the Pointer bench, led by senior, Hailey Murphy.
Murphy was not able to see any game time this season, as she has been injured, but, according to coach Tom Ingwell, she provided what she could as a leader for the rest of the team.
By being present at practice, and being engaged with her teammates for the games, Ingwell believes Murphy played a key role in the Pointers' historical playoff run.
"She showed heart for the team with all of her dedication," Ingwell expressed.
During this year's COVID-19-ridden fall sports season, dedication may be more important than ever, as the future of competition is uncertain.
The 2020 Pointer volleyball team made their mark in the history books this season, as they made their first appearance in sectional play since 1998. The girls entered regional play by facing off against Boscobel, who they saw earlier this season, and they handled the Bulldogs by a score of 3-1.
In the regional semifinal, the Pointers faced a stronger opponent in number eight ranked, River Ridge, but the girls kept rolling with a score of 3-1.
Looking for their first regional championship in over 20 years, the Pointers faced number nine ranked, Darlington, and again, Mineral Point won 3-1.
The Pointers were led by the three seniors, Murphy, Lawinger, and Aschliman.
"Ivy is a great hitter/setter combination player; she always worked hard, and she was a hustler," Ingwell stated about Lawinger.
"Macy really stepped up and led the team over the offseason, and I couldn't be more proud of how much she helped the program this year," Ingwell expressed.
"Even though Hailey was unable to play, she still made it to practice; she was a key motivator on the bench throughout the season," Ingwell said.
The major theme in this year's COVID-19-ridden volleyball season has been teamwork. Every player had a role,and it came down to individual execution for the team to have success as a whole.
The 2020 regional champion Pointers are a fine example of how much hard work and a good attitude can accomplish.