EBF Volleyball Team Defeats Oskaloosa in Four Sets, Extends Record to 26-2
In a thrilling showdown at Oskaloosa High School, the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (EBF) volleyball team triumphed over Oskaloosa in four sets on Thursday night, improving their impressive overall record to 26-2. EBF clinched the victory with set scores of 25-16, 22-25, 25-14, and 25-19, demonstrating resilience after dropping the second set.
Head coach Gladys Genscow praised her team’s ability to stay mentally tough despite challenges in passing. “We did not have a great night of passing, which forced us to struggle with getting the ball in-system and led to more errors,” Genscow said. “But we rallied back, stayed mentally tough, and used our strengths to pull out the win.”
Molly Shafer led the attack with a standout performance, recording 28 kills on 46 of 55 attacks. She also contributed defensively with 21 digs and added 6 aces on perfect serving, going 20/20 from the line. Her sister, Kate Shafer, was also instrumental with 7 kills, 7 digs, and an impressive 38 aces—although the number seems unusually high and could be a mistake—alongside 3 crucial blocks.
Lacey Taylor supported the offense with 12 kills on 27 attempts, while Kaylee Helm proved a solid presence at the service line, notching 3 aces and adding 19 digs. Layni Burch and Kinley Lobberecht added to the defensive effort with timely digs, keeping the ball in play during critical rallies.
The competition was intense from the start, with Oskaloosa putting up a tough fight in every set. “Osky always comes out with such intensity and maintains it all night long,” noted Genscow. “They never give up on balls and give that extra effort. There were some great volleys throughout the night.”
Although EBF struggled with passing at times, they were able to regroup and capitalize on their strengths. Genscow is confident that her team will continue to improve as they head toward the postseason. “We will continue to work at getting better at our weaknesses as we wind down this season,” she said.
Next up, EBF travels to Clarke on Tuesday for their final conference match before entering postseason play. The Rockets are determined to fine-tune their game, building on the momentum of their hard-fought victory over Oskaloosa.
