Sports
Mendota Heights Patch Game of The Week: Henry Sibley Faces East Ridge in Volleyball Playoffs
Henry Sibley faces defending section 4AAA champion East Ridge in the first round of the playoffs Wednesday.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS PATCH GAME OF THE WEEK
Volleyball
(12-15, 6-8 Classic Suburban Conference) vs. East Ridge (12-17, 4-5 Suburban East Conference)
CHEAT SHEET
SITE: East Ridge High School
TIME: 7 p.m. Wednesday
LAST MEETING: This is the first meeting between the two schools.
ON THE LINE
Henry Sibley, who is the ninth seed, travels to East Ridge, the eighth seed. East Ridge lost their last four matches and were just 1-7 in their final eight contests. The winner faces No. 1 seed Hill-Murray, who won the Classic Suburban Conference with a 14-0 mark. East Ridge won the section championship last year to advance to the state tournament, where they bounced back from a first round loss to Lakeville North to finish fifth and 22-8 overall. The Raptors underwent a rebuilding job this season after losing eight seniors from that team.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brittany Jessen—Henry Sibley outside hitter
Jessen was a Classic Suburban All-Conference selection as a freshman. She is an excellent server and is praised for her leadership, despite being only a sophomore.
Tess Kelzenberg—East Ridge setter
Kelzenberg leads the Raptors in assists and is an excellent server.
WARRIORS WIN IF...
They continue to serve well and put pressure on the Raptor’s back row.
RAPTORS WIN IF...
They can overcome their late struggles and get strong play from their three seniors on a young team that has three sophomores and three freshman in their top twelve.