After both having extra time off, the Eau Claire North Huskies and the D.C. Everest Evergreens will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Eau Claire North came into their game on Monday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They came up short against River Falls, falling 3-0. The Huskies have struggled against the Wildcats recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-16, 25-10, 25-19.
Despite their loss, Eau Claire North saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Toni Woodruff, who had 16 assists and eight digs, was perhaps the best of all.
D.C. Everest won the last time they faced Wausau East and Lilly Peterson did her part to make sure it happened again. The Evergreens blew past the Lumberjacks 3-0 on Thursday thanks in part to Peterson, who had 22 digs. She is on a roll when it comes to digs, as she's now had 14 or more in each of the last three games she's played.
D.C. Everest never let Wausau East on the board, but things got pretty close in the second set. The match finished with set scores of 25-13, 25-22, 25-20.
D.C. Everest's victory ended a three-match drought at home and bumped them up to 16-16. As for Eau Claire North, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-18.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's match: Eau Claire North has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 5.6 aces per game. However, it's not like D.C. Everest struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Eau Claire North couldn't quite get it done against D.C. Everest in their previous meeting back in August of 2024 as they fell 2-0. Can the Huskies avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
