The 2024 volleyball season got off to a good start for the Centennial Broncos. After losing their opener to Hastings St. Cecilia, the Broncos came back with a 3-1 showing at their home tournament Aug. 31.
Coach Alex Anstine said she could tell the match against St. Cecilia was the first of the season.
“St. Cecilia causes us to get a little nervous,” she said. “We hurt ourselves with silly mistakes.”
After a tough first game, the Broncos came back to win the second 25-23. The Hawkettes won the final two, however, to take the match 25-16, 23-25, 25-13, 25-21.
Anstine said CHS struggled with its passing and that meant setting more to the outside. However, she saw dramatic improvement in her team.
“We made huge strides from our jamboree to Thursday,” she said.
Catelynn Bargen led the offense with 16 kills against the Hawkettes. Tylor Opfer picked up 14 digs in the match.
Centennial opened its tournament with a 25-20, 25-17 win over Sutton Aug. 31. Anstine said that was a match that could have gone either way, especially first thing in the morning.
“I thought we did a nice job out of the gate,” she said.
CHS then played Lutheran High Northeast and won 25-16, 27-25. Anstine said the match wasn’t the cleanest, but the Broncos did what they had to do to win.
Wood River was Centennial’s next opponent after a short break, and Anstine said the Broncos came out ready to play, winning 25-9, 25-10.
“Everything went right for us,” she said.
The win put Centennial in the championship match against Clarkson-Leigh, and the Patriots won 25-23, 25-17. Anstine said players ran out of gas in the match and couldn’t get back on track.
The Broncos still have a couple things to work on, she said, but it was a big accomplishment to get back to the final of their home tournament.
Bargen finished the day with 35 kills. Ella Wambold put up 69 assists.
Up next for Centennial (3-2) was Central City Sept. 3. It is the Broncos’ only match of the week. The next match is Tuesday, Sept. 10, at Sandy Creek.
