Volleyball Game Preview: Merrill Bluejays vs. Medford Raiders

Merrill is a perfect 10-0 against Medford since October of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Bluejays will venture away from home to face off against the Raiders at 7:00 p.m.

Merrill is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Shawano Community just ended the team's three-match winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Hawks by a score of 3-2.

The 3-2 doesn't really show just how close this match was: all the sets Merrill lost were decided by three points or less. The match finished with set scores of 22-25, 26-24, 25-23, 22-25, 16-14.

Avery Hoock

Digs

09/25/25 @ Shawano Community	14
09/23/25 vs Antigo	13
09/16/25 @ Northland Pines	25

Avery Hoock put forth a good effort for the losing side as she had 14 digs and two aces. She is on a roll when it comes to digs, as she's now had 13 or more in each of the last three games she's played. Gabby Wheeler was another key player, getting ten digs and two aces.

Meanwhile, Medford had to endure a three-match losing streak, but that streak is no more. They came out on top against Northland Pines by a score of 3-1 on Tuesday.

Medford picked up their first road win, bumping their record up to 6-9. As for Merrill, their loss dropped their record down to 12-11.

Merrill beat Medford 2-0 in their previous meeting back in September of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bluejays since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.