Ava Peterson (3), Alivia Yri (7) / Photo courtesy of New Rockford Transcript
NEW ROCKFORD — Thursday night’s match started and ended in a kill by Ava Peterson.
The New Rockford-Sheyenne senior surpassed 1,000 career kills earlier this week. She’s also part of the 1,000-assist and 1,000-dig club.
“It was amazing,” Peterson said. “You can’t ask for a better senior season. This is how you want to go out, and we’re doing it. It’s fun.”
Peterson, who’s been starting on varsity since she was in eighth grade, has played every position throughout her career. The left-hander does it all.
“It hasn’t been easy, but she just works for it. She’s a team leader,” NR-S head coach Sara Myhre said. “I think with that flexibility, with a player, there’s growth. And when there’s a need, or a certain year where we’re suffering here, or we need a setter, or we need an outside, she steps up. And she’s like, ‘I’ll do it.’ … It’s really fun to coach a girl that’s willing to be part of any position out there.”
Peterson added to her total with 20 kills unofficially on Thursday. At the same time, senior setter Alivia Yri surpassed a worthy milestone of her own: 1,000 career assists.
“She’s been my setter for the past couple years now, and she’s one of my best friends,” Peterson said. “And there’s just such a strong connection on and off the court.”
The Peterson-Yri duo led NR-S (17-5, 5-1) in a district win over North Star (14-8, 5-2) on Thursday at New Rockford-Sheyenne High School.
“She’s been ready to take this team to the next level with her setting,” Myhre said of Yri. “And this year, she’s definitely doing it. And I feel like setters don’t get enough credit, right? … I’m so glad she was able to reach that milestone in her senior year.”
The Rockets swept the match over their District 4 opponent. But North Star, a team that’s been clicking lately, kept it close in each set. NR-S escaped with 25-21 wins in the first two sets, then capped the night with a 25-18 win.
“I just feel like we all connected really well,” Peterson said. “And all the girls were putting max effort in, and there wasn’t a single person out there that didn’t go for a ball. No matter who it was, we were all just there for each other, and that’s what makes us such a strong team.”
NR-S held a marginal lead for most of the first set. But North Star scratched and clawed its way to a 19-19 tie. Annabelle Staus led the Bearcats with 12 kills on the night, while Claire Jorde and Genevieve Ahlberg had 19 and 15 digs, respectively.
“They were digging everything,” Myhre said. “They’re very scrappy. Really great team. They had tough serves. We struggled a little bit with our block. We need to get that under a control a little bit more. But they were a good, competitive team.”
A 4-0 run from there helped the Rockets breathe a little. But after snagging the 25-21 win, they had to fight again in the second set. North Star led 4-1 out of the gates, and NR-S eventually fought back to take a 9-8 lead.
Even when the Rockets stretched the gap to 19-13, North Star narrowed it to 19-17. Claire Weber had a couple of nice blocks on hard shots by Peterson.
“They were finding our open spots on the court,” Peterson said. “And we’re working on our defense right now, trying to find where we really should be and just understanding who’s next to us on the court, which makes a big difference.”
A successful kill by Peterson helped finish off another 25-21 victory.
NR-S handled business a little easier in the third set. After taking a 7-3 lead, the Rockets never relinquished their advantage, although North Star did make it as close as 18-17.
A 5-0 run separated them. Peterson had kills to win the final two points of the match.
She had eight total kills unofficially in the last set, after seven in the first and five in the second.
“It was really the passes and Liv’s sets,” Peterson said. “I mean, I can’t hit without my teammates getting a ball to the center, and the setter giving me a good ball. And I kind of just look for the open spots. And whatever I see open, I’m just gonna go for it.”
Peterson has worked for years to get where she is now. And it’s paying off in her senior year for a team that’s received top-five votes in the state polls.
“I don’t take anything for granted,” Peterson said. “Everything I do comes from the hard work we all put in at practice. I’ve played with a lot of girls over the years, and I credit a lot of my skill to learning from others on the court. And I’m just thankful for the experiences I’ve had.”
A year after finishing fourth in a 10-team region, the Rockets are making noise once again in their new district. They’ve had success both in district and tournament play. At one point, they won eight consecutive matches. Their only district loss so far came to the defending state champion, No. 1-ranked Langdon Area/Munich.
Peterson said their success stems from their off-court friendships.
“We wouldn’t be playing like a solid team that we are if we didn’t have those external connections,” she said. “Like, walking down the halls, we see each other, we say hi — like, ‘How’s your day going?’ That’s what builds a good team.”
The win moves NR-S into a tie with Benson County for second place in District 4. The Rockets are set for what should be a good matchup against the Wildcats on Tuesday. Benson County, ranked No. 4 in Class B, recently saw its undefeated season end at the hands of No. 1 LA/M.
“We’re looking forward to playing them,” Myhre said. “We love to compete. And this district is competitive, for sure.”
Regardless of Tuesday’s outcome — or what the postseason holds — seniors like Peterson and Yri will go out with accomplishments they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.
For Peterson, 1,000 kills is just the latest accomplishment in a long journey.
“She’s worked for it, and I’m extremely proud of her,” Myhre said. “It shows on the court. She’s a leader out there.”
