River Valley is 0-10 against Highland since September of 2021 but things could change on Monday. The Vikings will venture away from home to take on the Fighting Scots at 6:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Monday.
River Valley took a loss when they played away from home last Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 3-0 margin over Eastmoor Academy.
Not only was the match a shutout, it was a big one: River Valley took every set by at least 11 points. The match finished with set scores of 25-10, 25-14, 25-10.
Arianna Osborne
| 10/15/25 vs Eastmoor Academy | 11 |
| 10/09/25 @ Centerburg | 12 |
| 10/07/25 vs Ontario | 11 |
| 10/02/25 @ Clear Fork | 16 |
Arianna Osborne was the offensive standout of the contest as she had 11 digs and three aces. She is on a roll when it comes to digs, as she's now had 11 or more in each of the last four games she's played. Gwen Butler also deserves some recognition as she had her first kill of the season.
They weren't the only good servers: River Valley was lethal from the service line and finished the match with 11 aces. They are 5-2 when they serve at least ten aces.
Meanwhile, Highland had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They put the hurt on Marion-Franklin with a sharp 3-0 win on Wednesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Fighting Scots.
The 3-0 score doesn't show just how dominant Highland was: they took every set by at least 20 points. The final score came out to 25-5, 25-5, 25-5.
River Valley better keep an eye on MaKaylee Merckling. She was instrumental in Highland's win, getting ten aces and seven digs. Those ten aces gave Merckling a new career-high.
River Valley's record now sits at 12-10. As for Highland, their record is now 16-7.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Monday's match: River Valley has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 6.8 aces per game. However, it's not like Highland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.9 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
River Valley came up short against Highland when the teams last played back in September, falling 3-1. Can the Vikings avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
