Hastings fell in straight sets to Gretna East 25-16, 25-18, 25-18 at home, (Terry Douglass, Central Nebraska Today)
HASTINGS — Hastings High showed flashes of promise, but couldn’t sustain momentum Thursday night, falling in straight sets to Gretna East 25-16, 25-18, 25-18 at home.
The Tigers (2-12) dropped their sixth straight match despite a competitive effort in the final two sets. Senior Zoie Turman led Hastings with nine kills, while junior Lily Sorgenfrei chipped in 17 assists and three kills. Teammate Payzlee Andersen added four kills and a block.
After a sluggish start in the opening set, Hastings rallied in the second, closing the gap to 16-15 on an ace serve by Lydia Choate. But the Griffins responded with a decisive 9-3 run, limiting the Tigers to just one kill during that stretch.
Hastings briefly held leads of 6-4 and 9-7 in the third set, appearing poised to extend the match. Gretna East (8-9), however, surged ahead with a 10-2 run to take control at 17-11. The Tigers narrowed the deficit to 21-16 but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Elayne Graver paced the Griffins with 10 kills and two blocks, while junior Avery Kelsay added nine kills and two blocks. Setter Maci Falcone dished out a match-high 28 assists as Gretna East snapped a five-match skid and held a 36-23 edge in total kills.