Montello hasn't had much luck against Valley Christian recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Hilltoppers will challenge the Warriors. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
Montello is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. Everything went their way against Roncalli as they made off with a 3-0 victory.
While Montello won a shutout, things came down to the wire in the second set they played. The final score came out to 25-16, 25-22, 25-16.
Rylan Harder
| 10/25/25 vs Roncalli | 13 |
| 10/23/25 vs Hilbert | 13 |
| 10/14/25 vs St. Ambrose Academy | 13 |
| 10/11/25 vs Valley Christian | 11 |
| 10/11/25 vs Abundant Life | 10 |
| 10/11/25 vs Johnson Creek | 11 |
Montello's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Rylan Harder, who had 13 digs and two aces, and Kyla Calnin, who had six digs and two aces. Harder is on a roll when it comes to digs, as she's now had ten or more in each of the last six games she's played.
They weren't the only good servers: Montello was lethal from the service line and finished the match with 17 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least five aces in 21 consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Valley Christian made easy work of Sevastopol on Saturday and carried off a 3-0 win.
Valley Christian walked away with the victory (and looked especially good in the first set). Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-11, 25-16, 25-21.
Valley Christian's win came from a few key players Montello will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Bella Birr, who had six digs and two aces. What's more, she racked up 14 assists, the most she's had over her last seven matchups. Ellie Demler was another key player, getting 15 digs and one assist.
Montello's record now sits at 33-6. As for Valley Christian, their record is now 28-7.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's match: Montello has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 8.8 aces per game. However, it's not like Valley Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other volleyball content.
