Baxter volleyball gets first conference win, sweeps Valley Lutheran

CONRAD — The Baxter volleyball team tallied 24 aces and had a big advantage in kills during its best win of the season so far on Thursday.

The Bolts played in an Iowa Star Conference South Division road triangular and split its two matches against BCLUW and Valley Lutheran.

Baxter downed the Crusaders 25-16, 25-9, 25-20 and lost to the Class 1A No. 8 Comets 25-6, 25-10, 25-12.

The Bolts had two players with more than five assists, five with more than two kills and three who had at least six aces during their win over Valley Lutheran.

Abbie Meyer led the Bolts with eight kills, 11 digs and seven aces. Adison Bonney posted seven kills and three digs, Kendall Brummel chipped in two kills, three digs and six aces and Caydence Sulzle produced 21 digs and seven aces.

Karlee Koehler dished out 12 assists, Alyvia Burdess chipped in five assists and two digs, Danika Flora added six digs and Kaylyn Krampe collected three digs.

Lexi Dart and Kamdyn Krampe each put down two kills and Denver Sulzle collected two digs.

The Bolts (3-7, 1-1 in the conference) were 63-of-73 in serves with 24 aces. Brummel was 10-of-11 in serves, while Meyer and Bonney had kill efficiencies of .294 and .235, respectively.

Valley Lutheran (0-11, 0-3) had a 25-3 disadvantage in kills. Maggie Michler led the Crusaders with four aces.

In the loss to state-ranked BCLUW, Meyer led the Bolts with three kills and eight digs. Caydence Sulzle had 13 digs, Burdess added five assists and two digs and Bonney produced four digs.

Flora also had two digs and the Bolts were 23-of-31 in serves.

BCLUW (9-1, 3-0) was led by Grace Farnsworth’s nine kills. Cassie Nason added 20 assists and three aces.

Baxter 3, Martensdale-St. Marys 0

BAXTER — The Bolts edged the Blue Devils in the first two sets and then pulled away with a convincing victory in the third during a 25-23, 26-24, 25-15 non-conference home win over Martensdale-St. Marys on Monday.

Baxter improved to 6-1 against the Blue Devils since 2018. The Bolts won the match after serving eight aces.

Meyer led the Bolts with five kills, 11 digs and three aces, Bonney chipped in six kills and four digs and Caydence Sulzle registered 19 digs and two aces.

Brummel tallied three kills, nine digs and three aces, Burdess finished with seven assists and two digs and Koehler dished out nine assists. Denver Sulzle had two kills and two digs, Kamdyn Krampe put down two kills and Flora contributed two digs.

Abigail White led the Blue Devils (3-9) with eight kills, 14 digs and five aces and Kathryn Ballard dished out eight assists. The visitors served up 10 aces.