The Apple Valley Sun Devils will venture away from home to square off against the Sultana Sultans at 5:15 p.m. on Monday. Apple Valley has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the matchup with seven straight losses, while Sultana will come in with three straight victories.
Apple Valley came up short against Burroughs on Wednesday, falling 3-0.
Apple Valley took the loss but they managed to make steady progress, increasing their score in every set they played. The match finished with set scores of 25-14, 25-16, 25-23.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from SALLY BALLAT, who had eight digs and two aces.
Meanwhile, Sultana hadn't done well against Oak Hills recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way last Wednesday. The Sultans blew past the Bulldogs 3-0.
Sultana not only won, but also showed off some consistency: they kept Oak Hills to exactly 21 points across their sets. The final score came out to 25-21, 25-21, 25-21.
Apple Valley better focus on containing Brooklyn Kelly and Ella Cain as the pair were huge in Sultana's win. Kelly had 18 digs and five aces, while Cain had 11 assists and eight digs. Kelly is on a roll when it comes to digs, as she's now had 12 or more in each of the last 12 games she's played.
Apple Valley's defeat dropped their record down to 10-14. As for Sultana, their record is now 16-5.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Monday's match: Apple Valley has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 9.2 aces per game. However, it's not like Sultana struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Apple Valley came up short against Sultana when the teams last played back in September, falling 3-1. Can the Sun Devils avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
