EBF Volleyball Claims Bronze Bracket Title at SE Polk Tournament

On September 14, 2024, the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (EBF) volleyball team, ranked second in Class 2A, competed at the SE Polk Tournament, finishing with an impressive 12-2 record for the season and securing the Bronze Bracket championship.

The Rockets opened pool play with a dominant 21-14, 21-12 win over Urbandale, showcasing their strong attack and serving game. However, they encountered tougher competition in their next two pool matches, falling to Indianola (16-21, 16-21) and Bishop Heelan (15-21, 19-21). Despite the setbacks, EBF quickly regained momentum.

In bracket play, EBF faced North Polk in a hard-fought match. After dropping the first set 20-25, the Rockets stormed back to win the next two sets, 25-17 and 15-9, securing a spot in the Bronze Bracket finals. EBF then claimed the championship with a commanding 25-15, 25-18 victory over SE Polk.

Key Performers:

Molly Shafer: Led the team with 70 kills (107/121 attacks), 5 aces, 39 digs, and 3 blocks.
Kate Shafer: Recorded 87 assists, 12 kills, 26 digs, and 2 blocks.
Lacey Taylor: Contributed 21 kills, 2 aces, 15 digs, and a block.
Kaylee Helm: Strong serving performance with 6 aces and 22 digs.

Head coach Gladys Genskow praised the team’s resilience and dedication, noting that while there are areas for improvement, the overall performance and team chemistry were standout elements of the weekend. EBF now looks ahead to a South Central Conference match against Knoxville on Tuesday.

“We have doable errors that we will continue to focus on to get to the level we want to achieve,” Genskow said. “I’m super proud of this team for their resilience and continued dedication to compete. It is a total team effort, and they work together so well.”

EBF’s continued success is powered by strong senior leadership and an unselfish, team-first mentality.