Taccoa Moyer Gets Three "Heart of a Mustang" Awards at North Nodaway Athletic Banquet

Taccoa Moyer got three "Heart of a Mustang" awards in girls basketball, cross country, and winter cheer at the North Nodaway Athletic Banquet Wednesday night. She was awarded for her hard work and dedication to the programs that she has participated in so far. 

The Cross Country team, coached by Nathan Schoonover, had two boys and five girls out, which allowed the girls to compete as a team and not just individually. Members were Draven Rader and Luke Clements for the boys and Casey Wray, Taccoa Moyer, Zoey Phillips, Eliza Clements, and Trynzlee Ebrecht for the girls. The girls managed to put a team on the fields despite three jugging cross country and volleyball. 

The Golden Shoe award went to Draven Rader for the boys and Casey Wray for the girls. The Most Improved went to Luke Clements, who went from running 22.50 on a two-mile course in junior high to 22.50 on a three-mile course at the high school level. The Heart of a Mustang award went to Taccoa Moyer, who Coach Schoonover said understood the meaning of sacrifice. All seven team members were members of the Academic All-State squad. 

The Volleyball team, coached by Jody Newman, is in her fourth year. Last year, they won the second most sets in school history. They had three players go over the 500+ dig mark and they found something positive to talk about after every game. 

Team members were Zoey Phillips, Eliza Clements, Savannah Rucker, Lily Blane, Lacy Riley, Taccoa Moyer, and Lainey Turner. The Most Improved was Savannah Rucker, who came out after not coming out the previous two years. The Newcomer of the Year award went to Eliza Clements, who was second on the team in service aces. The Defensive Player of the Year went to Lily Blane. She led the team in serve efficiency and service aces and was first team all 275. The Heart of a Mustang award went to Lacy Riley. She was the first in the gym during practices and the last out. She led the team in assists, was second in digs, and led in solo blocks. Making the Academic All-State squad were Lacy Riley, Addalea Barcus, Lily Blane, Lainey Turner, Eliza Clements, and Zoey Phillips. 

The Football Cheer squad was coached by Bethney Pedersen. Squad members were Zoey Phillips, Eliza Clements, Taccoa Moyer, Trynzlee Ebrecht, Pyper Smith, Lainey Turner, Monica Castillo, Mya Wray, Tequila Miller, and Lily Blane. Newcomer awards went to Zoey Phillips and Eliza Clements. Captain awards went to Tequila Miller and Lily Blane. The All-Star award went to Lainey Turner, who coach Pedersen said never complained and always showed up ready to go.

The Color Guard squad was coached by Emily Higgins. Squad members were Pyper Smith, Kaleah Edington, Lainey Turner, Savannah Rucker, Lena Richards, Aryanna Jimenez, and Jaycie Edington. Jaycie Edington and Lena Richards were the Newcomers of the Year. Savannah Rucker got the Most Dedicated award for having perfect attendance at practices. The Outstanding Performer award went to Lainey Turner. The Coaches Choice award went to Aryianna Jimenez, who went out of her way to step in and lead the squad when Coach Higgins unexpectedly had her baby early. 

The Basketball Cheer squad was coached by Ashley Marriott. Members were Pyper Smith, Taccoa Moyer, Savannah Rucker, Jaycie Edington, and Monica Castillo. The Most Improved award went to Jaycie Edington. The Most Enthusiastic award went to Pyper Smtih; Coach Marriott said she never had to tell Pyper to smile or show spirit. The Right-Hand Man award went to Savannah Rucker. The Mustang Proud award, her second of the night, went to Taccoa Moyer.

The Girls Basketball team, coached by Sami Jackson, consisted of Jackie Wray, Lacy Riley, Lily Blane, Taccoa Moyer, Trynzlee Ebrecht, Pyper Smith, Eliza Clements, and Zoey Phillips. Despite a rough season, Coach Jackson said they would always show up to practice ready to go each day. 

The Offensive Player of the Year went to Lily Blane, who battled through sickness and injury to average 9.6 points per game. Coach Jackson said that she would never come out of a game unless she made her. "We go as she goes," she said. For her efforts, Lily was named to the Second Team All-275 Squad. 

The Defensive Player of the Year award was a close call, but the award went to Jackie Wray. Coach Jackson said that her guards were much more aggressive on defense because they knew she would have their backs if they got beat. She said there was never a dull moment with Jackie Wray around; she said that this year, when she was chewed out, she would nod her head and say, "You're right, buddy!" 

The Most Improved award went to Eliza Clements. She had never shot threes before, but all of a sudden started shooting them. So coach Jackson had her practice on them, and towards the end of the year, she started making multiple triples. She also improved her assist totals as the season progressed. 

The Hustle Award went to Lacy Riley, who recovered the most 50/50 balls on the team.

The Heart of a Mustang award went to Taccoa Moyer. Coach Jackson said she always came to practice and did everything she was asked regardless of her playing time, and always with a smile. She said it said a lot about her character when three different coaches independently gave her the award. 

The Boys Basketball team was led by Coach Jake Hoy. They only won seven games, but Coach Hoy said that didn't reflect how hard they worked every practice and every game. It started with a freshman, Owen Coleman, who would show up for practice at 5:30 am for a 6 am practice. After the second practice, the rest of the squad followed his lead. There were plenty of other stories to share about this year's squad:

--Little-used Draven Rader coming off the bench against North Harrison and immediately grabbing three defensive boards in a row;

--Hayden Marriott coming off the bench and providing a spark in the first DeKalb win;

--Kaeden Nave going toe to toe with Ian Saunders, one of the top guards in the area;

--Weston Alexander spinning, doing a drop step, and finishing in a junior varsity game against North Andrew;

--Robbie Forney coming off the bench to spark the Mustangs against East Harrison;

--Blaine Clements relentlessly crashing the boards in the Stanberry game. He was missed when he reinjured his hernia down the stretch.

--Marek Stevens setting a new school record with seven triples in the win over Tri-County. 

--Jackson Keho losing the ball while driving against Union Star in the Gilman City Tournament, recovering it, passing out to a teammate, who missed the shot. But Ridge Clements came charging in from half-court, grabbed the board, and put it in at the third quarter buzzer to turn the game around in a game that had all the intensity of a district or sectional contest instead of two teams desperate for a win. 

--Jordan DeLeon sweating off five pounds every night jockeying for position in the post, running the floor, and saving teammates turnovers by chasing after errant passes.

The Heart of a Mustang award went to Kaeden Nave, who always showed up ready to go and always tried to make himself better each practice and each game. The Defensive Player of the Year was Blaine Clements, who was all over the floor on defense and was a shot-blocking presence. The Offensive Player of the Year was Jordan DeLeon, who occupied defenses and freed up everyone else. 

The Senior Dedication award went to eight different Mustangs who stuck with a sport or activity for all four years. Eight Mustangs got that award, the most since it was instituted a few years ago. They were Casey Wray (Cross-Country), Jackie Wray (Basketball), Lacy Riley (Volleyball, Basketball), Kaeden Nave (Basketball), Jordan DeLeon (Basketball), Ariyanna Jimenez (Flags), Trevyn Wyllie (Basketball), and Blaine Clements (Football, Basketball).

Lacy Riley, Addalea Barcus, Casey Wray Honored at North Nodaway Senior Night

North Nodaway’s volleyball team lost in straight sets, 12-25, 17-25, and 14-25 to Rock Port Tuesday, October 14th. Honored on Senior Night were cross country athlete Casey Wray along with volleyball athletes Lacy Riley and Addalea Barcus.

Casey Wray is the daughter of Jennifer and Nick Wray. She participated in band four years, FFA four years, cross country three years, Student Council one year, NHS two years, and school play four years. She has lettered in band and cross country. She has gone to state two years for cross country, FFA three years, and state solo/ensemble one year. She plans to pursue a four-year degree in Ag Business.

Addalea Barcus is the daughter of Scott and Krista Barcus. She participated in volleyball four years, football cheer three years, basketball cheer two years, basketball three years, track two years, FFA four years, play three years, FBLA two years, NHS two years, Leo Club two years, Student Council two years, and cadet teaching one year. The school board approved her early graduation in December. She plans to start at Northwest next semester and enroll in their Pre-Pharmacy program.

Lacy Riley is the daughter of Adam and Vivian Riley. She participated in volleyball four years, basketball four years, football cheer three years, FFA four years, play three years, FBLA four years, Student Council three years, Scholar Bowl four years, and cadet teaching one year. She plans to attend college and major in Sports Communication.

In the first set, Zoey Phillips got a kill and a block early, but Rock Port made use of their superior size and took control, moving ahead 8-3. Laney Turner got a kill, Addalea Barcus got an ace, Lacy Riley got a back-row kill, and Laney Turner got an ace as the Mustangs hung around for a while, closing to within 13-9, but the bottom dropped out and Rock Port pulled away to a 25-12 win.

Zoey Phillips and Lacy Riley got kills. Lacy Riley and Lily Blane had one assist each. Addalea Barcus and Laney Turner had aces.

The second set was one of North Nodaway’s best sets all year. Eliza Clements and Lily Blane got kills early to put them up 2-0 and they maintained a two-point lead in the early going. The game was tied at 7 and 8 before Rock Port regained the lead, moving ahead 11-8 before Blane got a tip to kill the rally. Laney Turner got a block and Addalea Barcus returned a serve for a kill and added another kill; Lacy Riley followed with a block and then a tip after a Zoey Phillips save to tie it at 14. Zoey Phillips got a kill to tie it again at 15-15.

Addalea Barcus did all she could to keep the Mustangs in the game down the stretch, but Rock Port pulled away again to a 25-17 win.

Addalea Barcus had four kills. Lacy Riley had two and Eliza Clements, Lily Blane, and Zoey Phillips had 1 each. Lacy Riley had 3 assists. Lily Blane had 2 and Zoey Phillips and Laney Turner had 1. Lacy Riley and Lily Blane had aces.

In the third set, Lily Blane, Addalea Barcus, and Laney Turner all got kills in the early going as North Nodaway hung around at first, trailing 7-6 at one point. But then the numbers game took its toll from there; Rock Port was able to run players in and out while North Nodaway is down to eight players and could not rest players like they wanted to; Rock Port was able to pull away to a 23-9 lead.

Addalea Barcus got a back-row kill to stop the bleeding and North Nodaway got their second wind for a while as Laney Turner got an ace, Zoey Phillips got a kill and an ace, and Addalea Barcus got a tip before Rock Port was finally able to close it out.

 

North Nodaway Honors Volleyball Coach for Pinkout Night

 North Nodaway’s girls' volleyball team honored its coach, Jody Newman, before the varsity game with Union Star Tuesday night, October 7th. She continued to coach the girls even as she was battling breast cancer. People wore pink shirts, and the players wore pink warmups.

The junior high started off its first set with a tight match. North Nodaway fell behind 5-0 but fought back to tie it at 7. The game was tied at 8, 9, 10, and 11 before the serving of Arianna Owens allowed them to gain separation. Some more aces by Scarlett Brown pushed them up 21-11 before Hudsyn Sample’s serving brought the Trojans back to within 21-16. But then the serving of Avary Volner for the Mustangs helped them regain control and they closed out a 25-16 win in the first set.

Scarlett Brown had 3 kills. Marin Alexander had 2, and Zoey Pearson and Arianna Owens had 1. Zoey Pearson had 2 assists while Scarlett Brown and Chandra Wyllie had 1. Arianna Owens had 4 aces. Scarlett Brown and Avarie Volner had 3 while Zoey Pearson had 1.

In the second set, they could not get off the floor against Sample, and they dug themselves into a 12-1 hole they could not get out of as they fell 25-9. Zoey Pearson, Zaylynn Luke, Arianna Owens, and Chandra Wyllie all had 1 kill. Zaylynn Luke and Arianna Owens had 1 assist each. Zalynn Luke, Zoey Pearson, Chandra Wyllie, and Arianna Owens had 1 ace each.

But in the third set, they got their composure back. Arianna Owens got a kill to give the Mustangs the serve up 3-1 and then Avarie Volner got consecutive aces to put them up 5-1. The lead stayed between four and six before the Trojans closed to within 11-8. But then Chandra Wyllie got a kill and Scarlett Brown was on the serve. Zoey Pearson got a first hit kill and then Brown got consecutive aces to close out a 15-8 win.

For the varsity, the numbers game took its toll on the Mustangs as Union Star has 19 players listed on its roster, while North Nodaway is down to eight. Union Star has the ability to conduct full scrimmages, a luxury that North Nodaway does not have. The results showed themselves; North Nodaway swept the Trojans earlier in the year, only to get swept Tuesday night. Union Star had the ability to rest key players, while the Mustangs could not.

Lacy Riley did all she could in the first set, getting 9 assists and setting up teammates throughout the match. Zoey Phillips and Lily Blane had 1 each.

But after leading by as much as 10-5 in the first game, the toll of the numbers game began to tell. MaKenna Grace began to control the floor from there for the Trojans, spiking everything hit to her whether she was in the front row or the back, and North Nodaway didn’t have an answer for her. North Nodaway fell 25-20 in the first set.

Addalea Barcus had 5 kills in the set. Lily Blane had 3, Laney Turner had 2, and Lacy Riley 1. Lily Blane had 2 aces and Eliza Clements 1.

North Nodaway dug itself into a 7-2 hole in the second match and could never catch up, although they closed to within two at one point before falling 25-21.

Lily Blane and Lacy Riley had 3 kills each. Eliza Clements, Addalea Barcus, and Laney Turner had 2 each. Lacy Riley had 4 assists. Lily Blane had 3, and Laney Turner and Eliza Clements had 2 each. Freshman Zoey Phillips has been working on a jump serve, and it paid off in that set as she had 3 aces. Lily Blane, Eliza Clements, and Laney Turner had 1 each.

Good ball handling by the Mustangs allowed them to erase an early 4-2 deficit and they got ahead 11-9. But then the bottom dropped out and everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong as they fell behind and lost 25-13 in the third set.

Addalea Barcus had 3 kills. Eliza Clements had 2, and Lacy Riley, Lily Blane, and Zoey Phillips had 1 each.

Lacy Riley had 4 assists. Lily Blane had 2 and Eliza Clements and Laney Turner had 1 each.

Addalea Barcus and Laney Turner had 1 ace each.

The junior varsity was a totally different story as Lily Blane was able to control the game in the first set and set everyone else up. Lily got three kills in a row to stake the Mustangs out to a 5-0 lead, one they did not relinquish. A back-row spike by Blane killed a Trojan rally and two aces pushed the Mustangs back up 13-5. From there, the Mustangs steadily pulled away to a 25-12 win.

Lily Blane had 5 kills. Laney Turner, Zoey Phillips, and Taccoa Moyer had 2, while Eliza Clements had 1.

Lily Blane had 5 assists. Eliza Clements had 4, Zoey Phillips 2, and Laney Turner 1.

Lily Blane, Taccoa Moyer, and Eliza Clements had 2 aces each. Zoey Phillips had 1.

In the final set, the Mustangs may have found a new server as Taccoa Moyer carried the Mustangs with four straight aces in the early going as they erased a 2-1 deficit to take a 5-2 lead. Laney Turner got a couple of kills and Eliza Clements got some more aces as the lead grew to 13-3. From there, the Mustangs pulled away to a 25-12 win.

Laney Turner had 5 kills, as she has been starting to harness her newfound height; she put on a big growth spurt between last year and this year and it’s starting to pay off at the volleyball net. Lily Blane had 3 and Savannah Rucker had 1.

Lily Blane had 5 assists. Eliza Clements and Zoey Phillips had 2 each.

Taccoa Moyer had 5 aces. Eliza Clements had 4 and Lily Blane had 3.

 

Scarlett Brown, Chandra Wyllie Spark Mustang Junior High with Aces

North Nodaway's junior high volleyball rode the backs of Scarlett Brown and Chandra Wyllie to a straight set victory over South Harrison Monday night. The team effort sparked the varsity to do the same later on that night. Scarlett Brown might become one of the tallest girls ever to wear a Mustang's uniform; she is head and shoulders above everyone else. She showed a lot of versatility Monday, getting some kills, setting up teammates, and always talking on the floor. Chandra Wyllie has the same kind of competitive spirit as her older brother, Trevin, and carried the team on her shoulders the second set to help them close out the deal.

Scarlett Brown set the tone in the first set with four aces and Avary Volner added a kill as the Mustangs took an early 7-0 lead. South Harrison chipped away, but an ace by Zoey Pearson, a kill by Scarlett Brown, and an ace by Brown made it 14-5. South Harrison made another run before Brown made a great save that turned into a point when the ball dropped over the net to make it 15-9. Arianna Owens got a kill to make it 20-9.

But South Harrison made a big run at them and got to within 20-16 before Scarlett Brown got a kill to make it 21-16 and stop the bleeding. Kills by Marin Alexander and Chandra Wyllie down the stretch kept South Harrison from catching up and the Mustangs walked away with the 25-21 lead.

Scarlett Brown had five aces. Chandra Wyllie had 3 and Zaylynn Luke had 2.

Scarlett Brown had 5 kills. Avary Volner and Arianna Owens had 2 and Marin Alexander had 1.

Scarlett Brown had 2 assists. Arianna Owens and Zoey Pearson had 1.

Brown started off the second set with two straight aces and then Avary Volner, who had struggled with locating the serving line in the first set, suddenly caught fire and got three more to make it 6-1. Kills by Scarlett Brown, Marin Alexander, and Chandra Wyllie kept South Harrison from mounting a comeback bid and the lead was at 10-5. Finally, it was Chandra Wyllie's turn to serve and nobody could figure it out as she hit nine straight balls for aces to make it 19-5 before South Harrison could finally stop the bleeding. Kills by Avary Volner and Zoey Pearson kept South Harrison from getting any closer than 21-11, and then Scarlett Brown and Avary Volner closed out the second set with aces to give North Nodaway the 25-12 win.

Avary Volner and Scarlett Brown had 2 kills. Marin Alexander had 1.

Scarlett Brown had 2 assists. Zoey Pearson, Marin Alexander, and Arianna Owens had 1.

Chandra Wyllie had 9 aces. Scarlett Brown had 4, Avary Volner 4, and Zoey Pearson 1. 

The B squad won 15-9 as South Harrison had trouble handling their serves. The game was close until Scarlett Brown checked in and served, getting four straight aces to make it 13-7. Zaylynn Luke had 2 and Arianna Owens and Bella Graham had 1. Avary Volner and Bella Graham had 1 kill and Arianna Owens had 1 assist. Eight out of North Nodaway's 15 points were off service aces.

Lacy Riley, Mustang Volleyball Dig Deep to Beat South Harrison

Lacy Riley and the North Nodaway volleyball team showed some newfound toughness Monday as they fought back from a big deficit to beat South Harrison in the fourth set and finish the match. With South Harrison having won the third match, they were on the verge of winning the fourth and getting a big comeback. But then Lacy Riley got several aces in a row, Zoey Phillips got a key kill, and then Lacy Riley got a couple of key blocks as the Mustangs never looked back after Eliza Clements got the serve.

Lily Blane and Eliza Clements got aces early on, but South Harrison used its size to move ahead 8-4 in the first set. But then Lacy Riley got a tip to stop the run and Addalea Barcus got some key points as North Nodaway drew closer. Finally, a long volley resolved in their favor and the match was tied 10-10. Lily Blane then got a kill off a pass from Laney Turner, and then three straight aces put North Nodaway up 14-10. 

South Harrison moved back in front 18-16 before Lily Blane got a kill off a Lacy Riley assist. Lily got an ace to tie it at 18 and Zoey Phillips got a block to tie it again at 20. The match was tied at 21, 22, and 23 before a bad serve by South Harrison and an errant hit that was too far handed North Nodaway the first set at 25-23.

Lily Blane had 2 kills in the set. Zoey Phillips had 2 kills, and Addalea Barcus and Lacy Riley had 1. Lacy Riley had 2 assists and Laney Turner and Lily Blane 1 each. Addalea Barcus had 4 aces. Lily Blane and Eliza Clements had 2 each.

Addalea Barcus started the second set with a kill and Lily Blane followed with a pair of aces to make it 3-0. Kills by Lily Blane and Addalea Barcus pushed North Nodaway into an 8-3 lead. But South Harrison fought back and closed to within 10-9 before Eliza Clements got a kill to make it 11-9. The margin stayed close until a kill by Barcus, a pair of aces by Lacy Riley, and a kill by Laney Turner off a pass from Lily Blane made it 20-15.

But South Harrison put together a furious rally to tie it at 20 before Lily Blane set up a Barcus kill. An errant hit by the purple shirts, a pair of aces by Lily Blane, and a block by Lacy Riley closed out the second match at 25-20.

Addalea Barcus had 5 kills in the second set. Laney Turner had 2, Lily Blane 2, and Eliza Clements and Lacy Riley had 1.

Lily Blane had 5 assists. Lacy Riley had 3 and Laney Turner 1.

Lily Blane had 4 aces and Lacy Riley 2.

But South Harrison dug deep in the third set and kept a bunch of volleys alive and took an early lead. They led by as much as 11-7 before Laney Turner carried the team on her shoulders with a kill and a pair of blocks to tie it at 11. The game was tied at 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 before a pair of kills by Lacy Riley, a pair of aces by Eliza Clements, and a kill by Zoey Phillips put the Mustangs on top 20-16. 

But then South Harrison started fighting back and forced a tie at 22 before scoring the last three points of the match to win the third set 25-22.

Eliza Clements, Zoey Phillips, Laney Turner, and Lacy Riley all had 3 kills in that set. Addalea Barcus had 1. Lacy Riley had 3 assists. Lily Blane had 2 and Eliza Clements and Zoey Phillips had 1.

Eliza Clements had 3 aces. Lily Blane and Addalea Barcus had 1.

When North Nodaway couldn't close out the third set, that deflated them and they promptly dug themselves in a 12-4 hole in the fourth set. In past years, they would have faded and had trouble getting to ten points in those sorts of situations. But then Laney Turner stopped the bleeding with a kill after an assist from Lacy Riley, and then Lacy started carrying the team on her shoulders. With the Mustangs trailing 13-8, Lacy Riley got four straight aces and the Mustangs were right back in the game down 13-12. 

Kills by Lily Blane and Eliza Clements followed, but the Mustangs were still trailing 17-15 when South Harrison's best server, Ava Shields, got the serve. The Bulldogs had gotten a lot of their big runs with her on the serve, and another one would have given them all the momentum in the world heading into the fifth set. But Zoey Phillips got a key kill after a setup from Lily Blane and the Mustangs had dodged a bullet. A block by Lacy Riley and an ace from Lily Blane put North Nodaway ahead for the first time at 18-17.

South Harrison fought back to force a 19-19 tie, but Lacy Riley and Addalea Barcus got blocks, Eliza Clements got an ace, South Harrison was whistled for a net violation, Addalea Barcus got a kill, and Eliza Clements got another ace as the Mustangs closed out a 25-20 win in the final set.

Addalea Barcus had 3 kills. Lacy Riley and Lily Blane had 2, and Laney Turner, Eliza Clements, and Zoey Phillips had 1.

Lacy Riley had 3 assists. Lily Blane had 2 and Laney Turner had 1. 

Lacy Riley had 4 aces. Lily Blane had 2 and Eliza Clements had 2.

The Mustangs got their third win of the year. Earlier, they traveled to Heartland Christian and made the long bus ride back from Council Bluffs worthwhile as they got a win. They followed it up with a win over Union Star to get their first two game winning streak since 2021 and only their second winning streak in the history of the program. 

The two junior varsity games were just as exciting. Taccoa Moyer had a pair of aces early and Eliza Clements had a kill, but the Mustangs dug themselves in a hole, down 16-8 at one point. But Eliza Clements stopped the bleeding after an assist from Zoey Phillips and the tide started to turn. Zoey Phillips got an ace, Pyper Smith set up Eliza Clements for a kill, Taccoa Moyer got another ace, and Eliza Clements got another kill as they fought back to within 16-13. 

South Harrison fought back ahead 19-13, but then Zoey Phillips stopped the bleeding with a kill, Laney Turner knocked down an errant pass for another, Eliza Clements followed with a kill, Pyper Smith set up Zoey Phillips for another, and the Mustangs were right back in the game again down 19-17. 

Eliza Clements' ace tied it at 19, and then Zoey Phillips got a kill off a pass from Clements, Eliza got another ace, Laney Turner got a kill, and the Mustangs were in front 22-19. South Harrison fought back to tie at 23, but a bad serve handed the ball back to the Mustangs up 24-23. Pyper Smith made what appeared to be a bad serve, but right before the serve, the referee blew the whistle as they needed to sort out the score. Given a new lease on life, Pyper Smith made the most of her second chance and knocked down an ace to give the Mustangs a 25-23 win.

Eliza Clements had four kills. Zoey Phillips had 3, Laney Turner 2, and Taccoa Moyer and Savannah Rucker had 1.

Pyper Smith had 5 assists. Zoey Phillips had 2 and Laney Turner and Eliza Clements had 1.

Taccoa Moyer and Eliza Clements had 3 aces. Zoey Phillips and Pyper Smith had 1 each.

The second JV set started out close, with neither side able to take control for a long time. Pyper Smith, who carried the Mustangs in their first JV set tweaked something early in the second and had to come out. But Lacy Riley came in to steady the troops. Taccoa Moyer got an ace, Zoey Phillips got a kill, Lacy Riley got a kill and a block, and Eliza Clements had a kill as the game was 12-11 in South Harrison's favor. 

South Harrison scored the next five points before Zoey Phillips got a kill and Eliza Clements got a pair of aces to stop the bleeding. Lacy Riley got a block to make it 18-15, but South Harrison managed to stretch it out to 24-17 before Eliza Clements stopped the bleeding with a kill after a set from Zoey Phillips. 

With their backs to the wall, North Nodaway nearly got back in the set as Zoey Phillips carried the team with four straight aces before she finally missed one and South Harrison walked away with the 25-22 win in the second JV set.

Eliza Clements and Lacy Riley had 3 kills each in the second JV set. Zoey Phillips had 2. 

Zoey Phillips had 3 assists. Lacy Riley had 2 and Laney Turner 1.

Zoey Phillips had 4 aces. Eliza Clements had 3 and Taccoa Moyer 1. 

Mustang Fall & Winter Athletes Honored for 2024-25 season

North Nodaway honored its fall and winter athletes for the 2024-25 season Monday at the athletic banquet. Honored were members of the football, basketball, cheer, volleyball, and cross-country teams as well as the flag corps and the color guard.

For the fall cheer squad, Nevaeh Smith was named MVP for her constant willingness to help other squad members. Katie Parman got the leadership award, while Monica Castillo was the most improved. The technical excellence award went to Lacy Riley, who has competed in dance competitions at the national level and it carried over to the cheer squad. 

The volleyball team set different goals for the team, including always having a positive attitude and improving their serve percentage. They did so, going from a 78.6% accuracy to an 84.12% accuracy.  In addition, each player set personal goals for themselves. A lot of these focused on improving communication. Squad members were Amy Richards, Nevaeh Halvin, Nevaeh Smith, Lacy Riley, Addalea Barcus, Lily Blane, Kila Miller, Piper Smith, Taccoa Moyer, and Lainey Turner. 

The newcomer award went to Nevaeh Smith, who came back after being injured in previous years. She was the best server on the squad with a 93% accuracy rate and was the leading hitter on the team. The offensive player of the year was Addalea Barcus, who led in attack percentage and in aces. She spoke her mind and was a good competitor. Most improved was Lainey Turner, who completely overhauled the way she played the game and still put up better numbers. The Mustang award went to Lacey Riley, who was always one of the first to practices and the last to leave. She led the team in assists and blocks. The character award went to Nevaeh Halvin, who always showed a good attitude and never gave up regardless of the scoreboard.

Addalea Barcus, Lily Blane, Nevash Halvin, Lacy Riley, and Lainey Turner were named to the Academic All-State squad. Barcus got an Outstanding Scholar award from MSHSAA.

Cross Country consisted of Owen Martin, Casey Wray, Jordan DeLeon, Draven Rader, and Trynzlee Ebrecht. The girls golden shoe award went to Casey Wray, who had the fastest time on the girls side. The boys golden shoe went to Owen Martin, who had the fastest time on the boys side. Martin was second in the 275 meet for the boys and Wray seventh for the girls. The goal was for Owen to eclipse the school record, and he came within 10 seconds of doing so. Trynzlee Ebrecht was named most improved for the girls. Draven Rader, who was always willing to help on the boys side, was named most improved. 

Draven Rader, Owen Martin, and Casey Wray were named to the Academic All-State squad. Both teams received the Scholastic Achievement award from MSHSAA. 

Nine girls came out for the winter guard and color guard for North Nodaway. They were Monica Castillo, Kaeali Edington, Amy Richards, Olivia Renfro, Aryianna Jimenez, Piper Smith, Katie Parman, Savannah Rucker, and Lainey Turner. The team spirit award went to Monica Castillo. The most improved was Kaeali Edington. The attitude award went to Savannah Rucker, who was always ready to go and happy to be there. The showmanship award went to Katie Parman. The resilience award went to Piper Smith. The team player award went to Aryianna Jimenez, who was always willing to help the other girls out. The rookie of the year went to Lainey Turner. The leadership award went to Olivia Renfro. The technical excellence award went to Amy Richards. 

The basketball cheer squad consisted of Aryianna Jimenez, Katie Parman, Olivia Renfro, Piper Smith, Nevaeh Smith, Monica Castillo, Savannah Rucker, Trynzlee Ebrecht, and Taccoa Moyer. The leadership award went to Katie Parman and Nevaeh Smith. The versatility award went to Olivia Renfro, who was able to fill in a lot of different roles during the year. The encouragement award went to Aryianna Jimenez. The loud and proud award went to Monica Castillo. The energy award went to Trynzlee Ebrecht, who was always ready to go, even at 7 in the morning. The best smile went to Taccoa Moyer. The helper award went to Savannah Rucker. The most improved award went to Piper Smith, who was always willing to cheer, even during tournaments.

The girls basketball team consisted of Addalea Barcus, Lacy Riley, Lily Blane, Taccoa Moyer, Trynzlee Ebrecht, Jackie Wray, and Mya Hansen. The record and scoreboard did not reflect the team's effort; they played many teams tough and were always well-prepared even against the top teams. 

The offensive award was one of the toughest ones for coach Sami Jackson to pick. The goal was for at least five girls to score every night. But Lily Blane played nearly every minute that the Mustangs played in, got them into their offense, and still got 6.5 points per game and 1.5 assists per game. 

The defensive player of the year went to Jackie Wray. She kept the Mustangs in countless games; she only averaged one block per game, but altered many more shots, even against good teams. She was able to emerge as a force on defense this year when she cut down on her fouls from last year and stayed on the floor. Nothing got to her, even when the game got physical. 

The most improved went to Mya Hansen. She didn't play much last year, but played extended minutes this year, averaging 5 points per game, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 rebounds per game. During the Platte Valley Invitational, the Mustangs had to play three games in four nights. Her play was instrumental in them winning consolation. 

The hustle award went to Addalea Barcus. Most players have to be pushed to hustle more; for her, Sami had the opposite problem, trying to reign her in. Over the course of the season, Addalea learned when to pick it up and when to play it safe. 

The Mustang award went to Lacy Riley. She was always showing a positive attitude and always encouraging players, helping keep the team focused. Even after a bad game, she would always look coach Jackson in the eye when she was talking to the team afterwards.

The boys basketball team consisted of Mason Casner, Owen Martin, Blaine Clements, Trevin Wyllie, Jordan DeLeon, Kaeden Nave, Draven Rader, Jeremiah Sparks, Aiden James, Ridge Clements, Weston Alexander, Draven Rowland, and Robbie Forney. The boys hoped to build off their 15 win season the year before, but injuries and illnesses meant the team had its whole roster together for 6 of their 22 games.  They had an excellent summer and were hoping for good things this year, but then Owen Martin was injured, followed by 1 1/2 months of sickness. When they did have their team together, they played well, including an overtime loss to Platte Valley, a one point loss to Stanberry, and wins over Tri-County, NEN (twice), DeKalb, and East Harrison.

The offensive award went to Mason Casner, who averaged 10+ points per game, and the team could light up the scoreboard when he was on. Defensive MVP went to Owen Martin, who always picked up the ball in backcourt and guarded the other team's best player. He led the team in steals and tips.

The most improved award went to Jordan DeLeon. He broke into the starting lineup this year and had over ten double-doubles. He had as many as 20+ points in a game and as many as 14 rebounds. 

The leadership award went to Trevin Wyllie. Battling sickness and injuries all year, he kept the Mustangs in the game against North Harrison in the first game of the year and in the Stewartsville/Osborn game with a 23 point outburst. He was the biggest cheerleader for the squad whether he was on the floor or on the bench. After an injury that he was expected to return in one week from turned out to be much more serious than initially believed, the Mustangs struggled to close out the season. The goal for the team will be to rediscover the hunger that propelled them to 15 wins the year before. 

Mason Casner was recognized for winning honorable mention in the Highway 275, which is always loaded. 

Five athletes were recognized for playing all four years in certain sports. Mason Casner was recognized for basketball and football, Owen Martin for basketball, Amy Richards for color guard and winter guard, Katie Parman for football and basketball cheer, and Olivia Renfro for basketball cheer. 

Mustang Volleyball Showing Depth, Searching for Second Win

North Nodaway is developing depth and trying to match their win total from last year, when they won two games against Bedford and Maysville. They have a chance to do that this week. They were playing at Maysville Monday night, and play South Holt and Essex this week. 

The numbers were up this year after they were playing the numbers game last year; the Mustangs have ten players out this year. The question was who the hitter would be after the graduation of Lauren Herndon, one of the best hitters they produced. In her absence, Addalea Barcus, Lily Blane, and Nevaeh Smith have all stepped up at different times this year. 

Against Union Star, the Mustangs held off several charges by the Trojans before finally beating them in straight sets. On the 14th, the Mustangs had every expectation of building on that; however, they were without Smith (migraine). It turned out that they needed her on the floor to be effective, and they struggled against Maryville’s junior varsity. They played two matches against the Spoofhounds. In the first, they lost in straight sets 10-25, 6-25. In the second match, they lost 6-25 in the first set. But a completely different team took the floor in the next set and they overcame an early 8-6 hole to take a 16-10 lead. Maryville fought back to tie it at 21-21, only for Lacy Riley to knock one down the middle after a setup from Lily Blane after a long volley to make it 22-21. Addalea Barcus had an ace to build a two point cushion. Maryville cut it to 23-22, only for the Mustangs to finish strong, finishing with an ace from Lacy Riley to win 25-22.

The Mustangs showed some promise in the third set after Amy Richards got an ace and Lacy Riley set up a cross hit by Addalea Barcus to cut the deficit to 4-3 as they were seemingly climbing out of an early hole. But then the bottom dropped out as they fell 6-25 and then were swept 0-15 in the tiebreaker set.

In the two matches, Addalea Barcus had 4 kills, Kila Miller 3, and Laney Turner, Lacy Riley, and Amy Richards 1.

Addalea Barcus had 2 blocks and Amy Richards 1.

Lacy Riley had 4 assists and Lily Blane 3.

Addalea Barcus, Amy Richards, and Lacy Riley had 2 aces each. Lily Blane and Kila Miller had 1 each. 

They played well against Rock Port in the first set on September 19th, but faded as the match progressed and they lost 3-0. They played a forgettable match against South Harrison on September 23rd and lost, leading to Tuesday the 24th’s match against Nodaway Valley.

Going into the match against Ava Graham and the Thunder, North Nodaway walked into the brutal portion of their schedule with East Atchison on tap in two days. Still hung over from South Harrison the night before, they dropped the first set 25-6. 

But like the match against Maryville JV, the Mustangs came out in the second looking like a completely different team. They scored the first five points of the set with Addalea Barcus getting a kill, Nevaeh Smith getting an ace, Lacy Riley getting a kill, and Lily Blane getting two assists, forcing the Thunder into a timeout. The Thunder fought back to within 5-4, only for Lily Blane, who had a bunch of aces in the Union Star win, get three in a row to make it 9-4.

Kills by Lacy Riley and Nevaeh Smith kept the Thunder from mounting a charge, and a long volley for the 20th point resolved in North Nodaway’s favor, making it 13-7. Lacy Riley was feeding people at will, and they led by as much as 16-9, but then the bottom dropped out. The Thunder went on a long run to take control, and they went on to win 25-18.

The Thunder completely outclassed the Mustangs in the third set to build up a 21-9 lead before aces by Lily Blane and Amy Richards and a kill by Addalea Barcus cut it to 25-13 at the end. 

Addalea Barcus and Lily Blane had 4 kills. Amy Richards, Lacy Riley, and Nevaeh Smith had 2 each.

Lacy Riley and Laney Turner had two blocks. Nevaeh Smith had one.

Lacy Riley had 7 assists. Nevaeh Smith, Lily Blane, and Nevaeh Halvin each had 1.

Lily Blane had 4 aces. Nevaeh Smith, Addalea Barcus, and Amy Richards each had 1.

The junior varsity lost in straight sets 26-12, 25-17, but the Mustangs may have found a new setter in Pyper Smith. She had 6 assists in the match. She had been working at it since summer, after new coach Jody Thompson told her the team had to have another setter, and Pyper was starting to take to the position.

The focus of the team moving forward will be finishing strong; the first game of the junior varsity match followed the script of the second varsity match; the Mustangs were in front 12-11 at one point, only for the bottom to drop out. In the second set, the Mustangs dug themselves into a 9-3 hole, fought back to tie it at 10-10, only for the bottom to drop out again as they fell behind 23-14. A late push at the end cut it to 25-17.

Lily Blane had 4 kills. Nevaeh Halvin and Taccoa Moyer had 2 each, and Laney Turner had 1. Lily Blane had 3 aces. Pyper Smith and Taccoa Moyer had 1 each.

Mustang Volleyball, Shamrock Softball Have Pink Out Nights; Bobbi Oberhauser Honored

North Nodaway's volleyball team and North Harrison's softball team had pink out nights recently to honor those who fight against cancer. On Monday, October 2nd, North Harrison's players wore pink shirts to their game against Mercer and it brought them good luck, as they won 16-6 against the Cardinals, their third win over Mercer. With the win, they won three out of their last four. Their bats have continued to improve, as they have scored 45 runs in their three wins, an average of 15 runs a game. 

The Mustangs were not as fortunate Tuesday night, October 3rd, as they fell to Union Star 25-18, 25-13, 25-11 in straight sets. After the game, the team honored Bobbi Oberhauser, who is a cancer survivor and who has battled it for over a year. She has refused to let it sideline her as she has rarely missed a day of work at J.L. Houston and she continues her work on the Hopkins Community Club, the Booster Club, and the Hopkins Picnic. Her daughter, Karissa, played on the volleyball team and graduated in 2021.

Betty Ginther of Stanberry, herself a cancer survivor, made the shirts for the team Tuesday. The girls work pink warmups for the game, and the junior high team painted their faces pink. Most of the fans who came wore pink.

The scoreboard didn't show it, but the team has made improvements since the early part of the year. The focus was on finding someone else who could spike the ball besides Lauren Herndon, and Addalea Barcus showed she was one of the most improved players on the team since then as she has stepped up and knocked down some kills. Coach Cari Cline said the focus now is on more consistency from the team. She said that both Herndon and Barcus had really improved on their serves since the early part of the year, with both their service percentages going way up.

Lauren Herndon had 13 kills for the Mustangs. Addalea Barcus had 8, and Lily Blaine 2. Lacy Riley had 15 assists and Lily Blaine 6. Lauren Herndon had 2 blocks and Amy Richards and Addalea Barcus 1. Andrea Jenkins, Kila Miller, and Addalea Barcus had 1 ace each. Lauren Herndon and Andrea Jenkins had 3 saves each.

Mustang Volleyball Can't Capitalize on First Win, Fall to Mound City

North Nodaway got off to a rough start against the always brutal Highway 275 Conference, dropping their first six games and only winning one set in the process. But on Monday, they invaded archrival Bedford and stunned the Bulldogs, winning 21-12, 20-22, 15-10 as they found their second wind.

With Mound City coming in at 2-3, the Mustangs had a chance to capitalize on their first win, but reverted to form, falling 5-25, 7-25, and 14-25 in straight sets.

All hell broke loose as Mound City completely outclassed North Nodaway in the first two sets; they were bigger and quicker. But North Nodaway started doing better in the third set. Lauren Herndon was a bright spot, getting several good hits in that set, getting good sets from Lily Blaine and Lacy Riley. But when she rotated to the back row, Mound City resumed their demolition, closing out the match. The challenge for the Mustangs will be to find another hitter so that they can match up with the other teams of the conference.

Lauren Herndon had 12 kills, while Kila Miller and Addalea Barcus had 1 each. Barcus had 1 ace, while Miller, Riley, and Amy Richards each had 1 block.

Junior High Mustangs Rally Behind Lily Blane, Mya Hansen, Arianna Peaches

North Nodaway's struggling volleyball program may have found a light at the end of the tunnel. The varsity has been having another long year, falling to 1-5 for the year. But the youngsters provided some spark to the program, rallying from a one set deficit to take their match 23-25, 25-21, 15-10 Monday.

The junior high came out with a lot of energy in the early going. A kill and an ace from Piper Smith helped put the Mustangs in front early in the first set at 12-6. But then South Harrison fought back and tied it up at 13, and then took an 18-16 lead. Aces from Mya Hansen tied it at 18, and four straight points capped off by two aces from Lily Blane tied it again at 23, but South Harrison scored the last two points to get the win.

The Mustangs fell behind again in the second set by as much as 9-4. A kill by Killa Miller got the Mustangs the ball back down 10-7, and then Lily Blane took over the game, refusing to let her team lose, getting three straight aces to tie it back up again at 10-1-. The game was tied at 11 before kills by Laney Turner and Miller put the Mustangs in from 14-12. An ace from Piper Smith made it 16-12. 

South Harrison fought back to tie it at 16, but then Mya Hansen put the team on her shoulders, getting three straight aces after North Nodaway got the ball back on a sideout, make it 20-16. She was constantly taking charge out there, making everyone around her better. South Harrison fought back to within 21-20, but Lily Blane's turn came back around and she got an ace to make it 23-20. The teams exchanged bad serves, but then Blane got the final point to give North Nodaway the second set.

Piper Molloy threatened to take over for South Harrison, getting three straight aces to put the purple shirts up 4-3 after North Nodaway had scored the first three of the decisive set, but then Mya Hansen got a kill and then a sixth grader, Eliza Clements, stepped up and got two straight aces after an errant South Harrison hit went out of bounds, and North Nodaway led 7-4. 

South Harrison cut it to 7-5, but after a bad serve, another sixth grader, Arianna Peaches, stepped up and served three straight aces to make it 11-5; the first was a perfect that that hit the top of the net and caromed over. The Bulldogs made a late run, but kills from Lily Blane and Taccoa Moyer meant that the Mustangs were still in front 13-10. Finally, Lily Blane and Halie Young got kills at the end to seal the third game.

The varsity game went from bad to worse as North Nodaway was intimidated by the 6'5" Marie Cookson. North Nodaway had every reason to expect a good game as South Harrison came in at 1-4, the same as North Nodaway, and the Mustangs had beaten them the last couple of years. But they were intimidated by Cookson, who ran wild over the Mustangs, knocking down hits in the middle at will, and was hammering down aces when she was in the back row.  Lauren Herndon was a rare bright spot in the game as she knocked down several outside hits. The Mustangs fell 16-25, 7-25, 12-25 to fall to 1-5.

The junior varsity started off more of the same as they dropped the first set 10-25. But all of a sudden, they realized that Cookson was not on the floor and they could play ball with them. It started off with a freshman, Lacy Riley, who was all over the floor, coming out of nowhere to keep possessions alive; she had some early kills. The back row came up big as a pair of sophomores, Amy Richards and Gabby Harper, made several hustle plays to keep possessions alive and each had a kill from the back row returning a serve. With the game tied 10-10, Addalea Barcus stepped up and got a kill and then three straight aces after Harper's kill to make it 15-10. South Harrison made a late run, but a pair of kills from Andrea Jenkins kept the Mustangs in front. Finally, Jenkins stepped up to serve, and the purple shirts could not handle her hard serves, and she got an ace to clinch it 25-21.

North Nodaway Hires Custodian, Names Volleyball Coach

The North Nodaway school board hired a custodian and named a volleyball coach for the upcoming school year following their regular school board meeting Thursday.

The board voted to hire Tara Bott as the elementary custodian for the 2022-2023 school year. The board also voted to name Cari Cline as the head volleyball coach for the upcoming school year. Since she is serving on the school board, Cline will work on a volunteer basis.

In addition, the board voted to approve a $5,000 purchase agreement with Brennon Allen and Gerold Allen for the lot of land located across from the elementary school in Pickering. The school will use it for the construction crews to store their equipment on during the construction on the elementary. Later, it will be used as a parking lot. The board voted to appoint Superintendent Chris Turpin as the closing agent.

Mustangs Show Improvement but Lose in Districts to South Holt

North Nodaway's volleyball team showed a lot of improvement Saturday during districts before falling in straight sets, 17-25, 12-25, 17-25 to South Holt. Previously, North Nodaway had trouble even getting to double figures against the Knights in their first game. They did a little better in their second game, but showed a lot of improvement Saturday, matching them during several stretches before finally going down and ending their season with three wins.

The difference was that everybody on the floor stepped up and contributed in some way. After falling behind 5-3 in the first set, blocks by Kelsey Barcus and Saylor Brown and a kill by Saylor put the Mustangs up 6-5. A kill by Ellaina Renfro put the Mustangs in front 7-6 after the Knights had tied it up.

South Holt, behind the front row hitting of Tanea Whaley and the back row hitting of Mylee Prussman, finally started taking control and went up 14-8, but instead of fading late in the set, as they had in the past, North Nodaway fought back. Jacquelyn Cline got an ace; they got several service aces in Saturday's game after not getting any against East Atchison. Cline then fed Renfro for a kill to make it 14-10. A block by Saylor and Saryn Brown and back to back aces by Saylor Brown cut it to 15-13. 

But then the Knights went on a 3-0 run to move in front again. Kills by Lauren Herndon and Saryn Brown, a block by Jacquelyn Cline and Kelsi Barcus, and an ace by Lauren Herndon kept the margin within four points at 21-17, but then South Holt pulled away for the 25-17 win.

The serving of Hanna Buckles for South Holt turned out to be too much for North Nodaway to handle, as they fell behind 10-0 to start the second set. But then they started fighting back after falling behind 11-1. Lauren Herndon and Saryn Brown got a block, Saryn Brown and Lauren Herndon got kills, and Sarah Chesnut got an ace as the Mustangs pulled to within 11-5. South Holt pulled away to a 15-6 lead, but a block from Jacquelyn Cline and Kelsi Barcus and an ace by Lauren Herndon cut it to 15-8. Kills by Saylor Brown and an ace by Cline kept the game within 8-10 points, but then South Holt pulled away for the 25-12 win.

Needing a win in the third set to keep their season going, they went stride for stride with the Knights to start out as Ellaina Renfro, Lauren Herndon, and Saryn Brown got kills as the game was tied at 1, 2, and 3. But then the black and gold shirts started pulling away, building their lead to 10-5. Kelsi Barcus, who served the best she has all year, dropped an ace to kill the run to make it 10-6. Saylor Brown and Jacquelyn Cline combined on a block to cut it to 12-7, but then the Knights started to pull away again, going up nine again.

The Mustangs made one last stand, starting with a block from Lauren Herndon and Saryn Brown to cut it to 17-9. Kills by Saryn Brown, Lauren Herndon, and Jacquelyn Cline, a block by Cline, and an ace from Herndon got the Mustangs to within 23-17, but the Knights scored the last two points to get the win.

Mustang Volleyball Steamrolled by Wolves

North Nodaway's volleyball team was steamrolled by East Atchison Tuesday night, October 19th as they fell 13-25, 13-25, 14-25 in straight sets. The Mustangs blocked as well as they have all year, getting in position well and forcing some errant hits; 12 out of their 40 points came off blocks. But they couldn't knock down very many kills against the bigger, quicker Wolves. 

In the first set, the Mustangs dug themselves into a 6-1 hole, but then Saryn Brown placed a perfect kill along the back line after an assist from Jacquelyn Cline. A kill from Lauren Herndon off a set from Saryn Brown and a block from Jacquelyn Cline and Kelsi Barcus brought them to within 8-5. But then the Wolves began to assert themselves and went ahead 20-10. Blocks from Ellaina Renfro and Saryn Brown on one play and by Lauren Herndon and Brown on another cut it to 20-12, but then the Wolves pulled away for the 25-13 win.

The second and third sets were the same as the first; the Mustangs would hang around for a while, only for the bottom to drop out in the later stages. The second match was tied at 3 and 5 at first. Saryn Brown was stopping the Wolves' attacks and Lauren Herndon added a kill. East Atchison moved ahead 6-4, but then Saryn Brown got a back row kill off a pass from Herndon to cut it to 6-5. A spike by Saylor Brown off a pass from Saryn and a tip by Saryn Brown off a pass from Kelsi Barcus kept it at 12-10, but then East Atchison began pulling away. Lauren Herndon and Saryn Brown combined on a block to stop the bleeding and bring their team to within 15-11, but then East Atchison went on a 9-1 run to go up 24-12. Jacquelyn Cline got a kill as the Mustangs tried to make a stand, but the Wolves closed it out on the next play to take the second set.

North Nodaway dug itself into a 17-9 hole in the third set, but the made a stand as Lauren Herndon and Saryn Brown got blocks and they closed to within 17-12. But once again, the bottom dropped out as the Wolves closed the game on an 8-2 run to close out the game.

Saryn Brown Bright Spot in Mustangs Loss to Thunder

North Nodaway continued to fall short in their effort to break in the top tier of the 275 conference, falling 17-25, 18-25, 14-25 to Nodaway Valley Thursday, but Saryn Brown was a bright spot for the Mustangs. She had 9 kills and 2 blocks that night. Jacquelyn Cline frequently set her up for her kills, getting several assists for the night. 

The Mustangs dug themselves into a hole in the first match, falling behind 21-8. Sarah Chesnut rallied the troops at that point, the serving of Jacquelyn Cline put pressure on the green shirts, and a kill by Brown stopped the bleeding. They got as close as 21-13 before the Thunder finally closed it out.

The next two games were a mirror image of each other. North Nodaway would play even with Nodaway Valley through the first 20 points, only for the bottom to drop out. They led 10-9 in the second set as Lauren Herndon got a couple of kills, and Cline added a service ace. But then Nodaway Valley pulled away to get the 25-18 win. In the third set, the Mustangs fell behind 4-1 before aces by Saylor Brown and Sarah Chesnut knotted it at 8-8. Saylor Brown got a kill to make it 9-8, only for the bottom to drop out again after that.

Saryn Brown had 9 kills and two blocks. Lauren Herndon had 3 kills and 1 block. Saylor Brown had 3 kills and 1 ace. Kelsey Barcus had 1 kill. Sarah Chesnut had 2 aces. 

Mustang Volleyball Trying to Break Through Against Loaded Conference

North Nodaway's girls volleyball team had designs of making a run at .500 this year, with many of their players back from last year's squad, which won its first district game in school history. But they ran into a loaded Highway 275 conference this year. East Atchison, South Holt, and Rock Port are strong powers, while West Nodaway and Nodaway-Holt formed another two-headed monster in Nodaway Valley this year. 

The goal of the Mustangs is to break into that upper level and get some quality wins. After dropping their first several games, they finally got a win, 3 games to 1 against Essex. They got another win, 25-22, 25-10, 25-19 against South Harrison. They nearly got a third win against Mound City. After falling behind two games to none, they fought back to take the third and fourth games before falling in the fifth game to lose 16-25, 15-25, 25-22, 25-23, 14-16. "We didn't play badly," said coach Emily Bix. "We were disappointed in the outcome, but we never got down on each other, we worked as a team, and we communicated well." 

In earlier matches, the Mustangs had been starting off strongly, only to fade in later matches. But more recently, they have been finishing stronger. In the first set in Thursday's game with Nodaway Valley, the game was even for much of the way until the Thunder pulled away for the 25-18 win. In the second game, the Mustangs trailed 16-12 before Nodaway Valley pulled away for another 25-18 win/

In the third frame, the Mustangs started off really well, leading by as much as 14-10. But some line calls didn't go their way, and the Thunder came back and pulled off the 25-23 win. But the Mustangs continued to show improvement, blocking a lot more spike tries than in years past and forcing hitters to either hit into the net or over everyone's heads and out of bounds. 

They had a balanced attack in the effort against the Thunder. Lauren Herndon had 5 kills. Jacquelyn Cline had 4, Saryn Brown and Saylor Brown had 3 each, Ellaina Renfro 2, and Kelsey Barcus 1. Saryn Brown, Lauren Herndon, and Kelsey Barcus had 4 blocks each. Saylor Brown had 2, and Ellaina Renfro and Jacquelyn Cline 1. Sarah Chesnut, Saylor Brown, and Saryn Brown had 2 aces each.

The JV, despite playing against varsity level opposition, with at least one jump server and one middle hitter who could start for another team, had been struggling to reach double digits for much of the year. But they succeeded in conquering that plateau Thursday, falling 7-25, 12-25 to Nodaway Valley.

The Junior High has been coming close and falling short for much of the year, but they took one on the chin 11-25, 13-25. Lacy Riley, Emily Keho, and Addalea Barcus had 2 kills each. Mya Hansen had 2 aces, while Lacy Riley, Sadee Clapp, and Kila Miller had 1 each.

Mustang Junior High Volleyball Schedule

September 7th – East Atchison, 5:00 pm.

September 9th – Rock Port, 5:00 pm.

September 13th – at Rock Port, 5:00 pm.

September 20th – at South Harrison, 5:30 pm.

September 21st – at Mound City, 5:00 pm.

September 23rd – Nodaway Valley at West Nodaway, 5:00 pm.

September 25th – St. Gregory’s Tournament.

September 27th – Maysville, 5:30 pm.

September 28th – South Holt, 5:00 pm.

September 30th – at Union Star, 5:00 pm.

October 2nd – Conference Tournament at Rock Port.

October 4th – South Harrison, 5:00 pm.

Mustang Volleyball Schedule

Matches may be preceded by junior high games and/or followed by JV games.

August 31st – Union Star, 5:30 pm.

September 2nd – at South Holt, 5:30 pm.

September 7th – East Atchison, 6:00 pm.

September 9th – Rock Port, 6:00 pm.

September 13th – at Rock Port, 6:00 pm.

September 14th – at Bedford, 6:00 pm.

September 16th – Essex, 6 pm.

September 20th – at South Harrison, 6:30 pm.

September 21st – at Mound City, 6:00 pm.

September 23rd – Nodaway Valley at West Nodaway, 5:00 pm.

September 28th – South Holt, 6:00 pm.

September 30th – at Union Star, 6:00 pm.

October 4th – South Harrison, 6:30 pm.

October 7th – Nodaway Valley, 6:30 pm.

October 14th – Mound City, 5:30 pm.

October 19th – at East Atchison, 5:30 pm.

Three Mustangs Win Fall Postseason Honors

 Three North Nodaway athletes got postseason honors. Two volleyball players and one football player was honored.

Saylor Brown was named Honorable Mention All-275 Volleyball. She was one of the team’s best hitters for the squad. Jadon Dobbins was named 2nd Team All District Volleyball; her serving sparked a lot of big runs for the Mustangs. Karson Oberhauser carried the football team at quarterback and was one of the strongest players on the team. Last year, he set the single game rushing record against LeBlond, and he improved on his passing game this year as the Muskets improved to two wins and played a lot of teams tough. His efforts laid the groundwork for future success from the Muskets.

Mustang Volleyball Gets Rare Win, Drop Rockets in Four Sets

North Nodaway’s volleyball team only got one win in their first two years of existence. But they picked up their second win of the year, beating West Nodaway in four sets. They previously beat Union Star at the start of the campaign. They started off strong, winning the first set 25-8. They struggled in the second set, falling 20-25. They recovered to win the third set 25-18 and built up a big lead in the fourth set behind the serving of Jacquelyn Cline. But in a precursor of the Worth County/Albany game the next night, the Mustangs had an epic meltdown, losing the lead to the Rockets. But then the righted the ship and went on to win 25-19.

The big difference between Thursday’s game and the South Holt game was the fact that the Mustangs kept their composure when things did not go their way. North Nodaway had a winnable game against South Holt, which came into that game at 1-4, rallied to take a 21-20 lead in the first set, but then lost the next five points and then proceeded to lose the next two sets. But against West Nodaway, they did not get down on themselves when the Rockets made one of their big runs, finding their second and third wind.

North Nodaway was shorthanded, playing without Sarah Chesnut, who was injured in the previous game. That forced them to adjust, as Chesnut is one of two setters on the floor along with Cline. But it didn’t matter, as they broke out to a 15-0 run, fueled by Jadon Dobbins and her bullet serves; she had six aces during the run. Lauren Herndon got a tip, and Karissa Oberhauser and Dobbins both got kills. West Nodaway got the next five points, but never got closer than 10, and a pair of tips from Dobbins at the end finished it.

Lauren Herndon fueled the Mustangs to an 11-10 lead in the second set, getting a cross spike, a jump serve ace, and a tip; Jacquelyn Cline added a kill and Saylor Brown added a block. Several of the players are learning jump serves, which are a lot harder to handle. But then Riley Linville, who kept the Rockets going throughout the match, took over, getting several aces and kills as the Rockets took control for the win. North Nodaway struggled with their hitting that game.

Service aces from Jacquelyn Cline and Lauren Herndon, a tip from Saylor Brown, and a kill from Karissa Oberhauser put the Mustangs up 9-3 at the outset of the third match. West Nodaway closed to as close as 9-6, but then a pair of aces from Saylor Brown restored order for the Mustangs, and the hitting of Saryn Brown put the Mustangs up as much as 23-14. Linville fueled a late Rocket run and Abby Bragg added an ace, but then Lauren Herndon got a block for the final point.

North Nodaway seemed to pick off where they left off in the first set. After dropping the first two points, they were fueled by the serving of Jacquelyn Cline, who got six aces in a 10-0 run that put them up 10-2. Saylor Brown added a kill, and Lauren Herndon added a block. Herndon’s ace made it 12-3, but then disaster nearly struck as Linville got to the serve, and North Nodaway couldn’t handle her hard deliveries, as she got four aces in an 8-0 run that made it a game again at 12-11. The Mustangs then fell behind 17-15, but then they stopped the bleeding and Tessa Steele got a critical kill to put the Mustangs back out in front, placing one perfectly just in front of the back line to make it 18-17. Her defense on Linville down the stretch was key, as she forced her into some bad hits.

Under new coach Emily Bix, the Mustangs have eight players that they can rely on in key situations. She said that the chemistry was good, and that they all picked each other up when things did not go their way. Serving has become a strength for the young squad. “When we get those aces, it gets us up and sets the tone for the whole game,” said Herndon. The players are starting to buy in to the system. “It helps having a coach who has played and who can help us out,” said Herndon. “We’ve played together since junior high down, and we don’t let adversity get to us anymore.”

Bix credited several of her players for making critical plays during the game. Easily one of the most improved is Steele, who has emerged as one of the most versatile players on the team. “She can play any position, and I can use her to give one of the other players a break and talk to them,” said Bix.

The two freshmen, Lauren Herndon and Saryn Brown, have been a spark for the squad. Herndon, along with Saylor Brown, have given North Nodaway a blocking game that they didn’t have before, while Saryn Brown has grown a lot since last year emerged as one of the main hitters on the squad.