By Skip Hunter –

The SWC Eagles opened the 2022 campaign with a game against the Eagles. No, they did not play themselves, they hosted the Windom Eagles, a pretty good team from the Big South Conference. The gym was full of excitement, and after Annika Dyk opened with the national anthem, the teams took to the court. SWC lost a hard fought match, 4-1.

In game 1 SWC jumped out to a 6-2 advantage. Makenna Moss scored the first offensive point using a Myah Vander Maten pass and an Ana Veldkamp set. Paris Van Dyke had 2 ace serves, and Veldkamp had a pair of kills in the run. After WHS cut the lead to 6-4, Vander Maten passed to Veldkamp who set Moss for a kill. WHS went on a run to cut the lead to 8-7 before Makenna Brands passed to Veldkamp who set Madyson Fey for a kill. WHS then went ahead 14- 10. Van Dyke stopped the run with a kill. Later in the game, a Moss block made the score 16-13. That’s when the fire alarm went off.

When it was determined there was no danger, play resumed. WHS caught fire and went ahead 21-15, prompting SWC Coach Morgan Schoonhoven to call timeout. After the break Brands got the ball to Veldkamp who set Jocelyn Barron for a kill. Later Veldkamp won a joust at the net to make the score 22-18. Van Dyke had a pair of kills, but WHS led 24-19. SWC forced a 24-22 score ending with another Van Dyke kill, but the visiting Eagles won game 1 25-22.