PRAIRIE GROVE -- Prairie Grove won its first two matches of the 2022 volleyball season in nonconference play against West Fork (25-14, 25-15, 25-14) on Aug. 23 and Elkins (25-22, 25-3, 25-21) on Aug. 25.
Prairie Grove swept both matches getting the season off to a good start. The Lady Tigers run a 5-1 offense operating with a single setter, Emma Vertz, a sophomore moving into the starting lineup.
Vertz dished out 28 assists and did the job on defense with 11 digs.
"She does a great job of getting anywhere on the court where she needs to be," said Prairie Grove coach Lindsey Biocic. "She can make a bad pass look good, she's athletic and she does a great job of communicating with her hitters."
Elli Gerbholz served 5 of the Lady Tigers' total 10 aces against Elkins. Kenleigh Elder smacked a team-high 12 kills. The Lady Tigers racked up 32 kills in all.
Senior libero Kendall Pickett sustained both a strained knee and an ankle sprain after recording 16 digs in a match on Tuesday, Aug. 30 at Farmington. She sat out of practice Wednesday and was assessed prior to Thursday's match at Clarksville.
"That girl plays hard. She would play with a broken foot if we would let her," Biocic said.
Biocic said miscues hurt the Lady Tigers in the loss at Farmington.
"I really think if we can clean up our side of the net and get away from these self-inflicted wounds, the missed serves and net violations, I think we can be a real competitive team," Biocic said.