Volleyball Game Preview: Shelley Russets vs. Hillcrest Knights

The Shelley Russets will head out to take on the Hillcrest Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

Shelley took a three-set defeat the last time they faced off against Idaho Falls, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Russets had just enough and edged out the Tigers 3-2 on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Russets.

Shelley had a slow start but a hot finish: after dropping the first two sets, they turned around to win the next three. The match finished with set scores of 22-25, 13-25, 25-13, 25-18, 15-13.

Meanwhile, Hillcrest faced Bonneville in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. The Knights narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Bees 3-2. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

The match was exciting from start to finish, as three sets needed extra rallies to gain a two-point lead. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-19, 24-26, 27-25, 24-26, 17-15.

Shelley's victory bumped their record up to 18-4. As for Hillcrest, their win bumped their record up to an identical 18-4.

Shelley skirted past Hillcrest 3-2 when the teams last played last Tuesday. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Russets since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.