The Waseca Bluejays volleyball team delivered a strong team performance in their home opener, defeating the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Bulldogs in five sets on Tuesday night. Behind steady serving, balanced hitting, and a back row that refused to let the ball hit the floor, the Bluejays set the tone for their season with a hard-fought victory.
Junior Ellery Waldron led the offense, hammering down 20 kills on 38 swings for an impressive .368 hitting percentage. She also had six errors but consistently scored in key moments to keep the Jays rolling.
Sophomore Asia Mayberry provided a second offensive spark, tallying 13 kills on 34 attempts at a solid .265 clip, keeping the Bluejays’ attack unpredictable. Savanna Vagts added 8 kills, hitting a match-best .389, giving Waseca three reliable scoring options at the net.
Senior setter Avery Barto was the engine of the offense, dishing out a match-high 45 assists while adding 11 digs defensively. Her ability to spread the ball around gave Waseca the edge against a scrappy Bulldogs defense.
In the back row, Ashley Fliflet anchored the defense with 28 digs, while Kaia Sartori controlled serve receive, leading the Jays with 16 receptions at 100% efficiency. Alyssa Kilmer added balance on the defensive end with 12 digs and steady serve receive.
At the service line, Madalynn Root paced Waseca with 4 aces, while Waldron and Fliflet each added two.
The Bluejays won a thrilling five-set match: 25-19, 22-25, 22-25, 25-15, 15-9. With the victory, Waseca improves to 1-2 overall, while the Bulldogs fall to 0-3.
Waseca will look to carry this momentum into the Rochester Century Invite on Saturday, with play starting at 8:00 a.m.