Volleyball Recap: Ell-Saline Comes Up Short

Ell-Saline was the 2-1 winner over Sterling when they last played one another back in October of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Cardinals fell 2-0 to the Black Bears on Tuesday.

While Ell-Saline had to settle for second, they sure made a game of it, scoring at least 19 points in every set they played. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-19, 25-21.

Bret Hecker paced Ell-Saline's offense, picking up eight kills. Hecker got some help from Callee Bradley and her nine assists. Finally, Jocelyn Taylor kept Ell-Saline's defense grounded, leading the team with six blocks.

Ell-Saline has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 13-15 record this season. As for Sterling, their win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-10-1.

The teams didn't have to wait long for a rematch: the Black Bears beat Ell-Saline by a score of 2-0 later that day.