After a tough season-opening slate that included five losses to some of the top teams in three states, South Dakota's fifth-rated Class AA Watertown volleyball team is starting to heat up.
The Arrows posted 3-0 wins over fellow Eastern South Dakota Conference foes Huron on Sept. 22 at home and Brookings on Sept. 24 at Brookings.
Watertown (9-5) won 25-18, 25-10 and 25-15 over Huron and 25-18, 25-24 and 25-22 over Brookings.
Torrence Tipton smacked 12 kills and Carighan Klatt 10 to lead the Arrows against Brookings. Reese Munger added six kills and 10 digs, Jaelyn Kettwig 35 assists, Hensley Hogue 12 digs, Maryn York 12 good serves and 10 digs and Andi Olson 10 good serves with two aces.
In the win over Huron, Klatt notched aces and 10 kills, Kettwig two aces and 20 assists, Munger five kills, Olson 19 digs, Hogue 12 digs and Blakely Hogue 11 digs.
On Sept. 19, the Arrows fell to West Fargo (ND) Horace 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 15-12) in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Klatt made two aces, 17 kills and five blocks; Hogue two aces and 25 digs; Munger 10 kills; Tipton 16 kills and three solo blocks; Kettwig 34 assists; Olson 23 digs; York 14 digs; and Ellis six blocks.
Watertown has also lost to No. 2 South Dakota Class AA Sioux Falls Lincoln, No. 1 South Dakota Class B Chester Area, No. 2 Minnesota Class AAA Marshall and to Class B Northwestern, which is 14-4 but dropped out of the state rankings for the first time this week.
Here's highlights from some other Watertown and Aberdeen area volleyball matches from Sept. 19-24:
PREP RATINGS: SF Jefferson now No. 1 in 11AAA football after beating Brandon Valley
OTHER VOLLEYBALL HIGHLIGHTS: Watertown tops No. 2 Class AA O'Gorman, No. 4 Class A Clark-Willow Lake now 12-0
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: [email protected]