Plainview is 0-10 against Elgin/Pope John since September of 2016 but things could change on Saturday. The Pirates will face off against the Wolfpack. Elgin/Pope John took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Plainview, who comes in off a win.
On Tuesday, Plainview was able to grind out a solid victory over Hartington-Newcastle, taking the game 2-0. The win continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won five in a row.
Plainview didn't let Hartington-Newcastle take a single set, but it sure wasn't easy: every set was decided by three points or less. The final score came out to 27-25, 25-22.
Meanwhile, Elgin/Pope John came up short against Riverside on Thursday and fell 2-0.
Elgin/Pope John was the model of consistency in the loss, scoring 20 points in every single set they played. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-20, 25-20.
Plainview will have to keep a close watch on Elizabeth Moser and Gentry Zwingman, a pair of players who had a big impact on Elgin/Pope John's prior game. Moser had five digs and four aces, while Zwingman had 14 digs. Zwingman 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.
Plainview's victory bumped their record up to 8-3. As for Elgin/Pope John, their loss dropped their record down to 12-3.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's contest: Plainview has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 8.1 aces per game. However, it's not like Elgin/Pope John struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.3 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Plainview came up short against Elgin/Pope John in their previous meeting back in September of 2024, falling 2-0. Can the Pirates avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
