Rapid City Stevens hitter Margaret McCloud finished with 8 kills as the Raiders topped the Cobblers in three sets Thursday night. (Photo Jake Nordbye/IDS)

Power, size, and experience can be a devastating combination. Thursday night, the No. 2-ranked Stevens Raiders showcased all of those assets as they took their home court for the first time this season against the Central Cobblers.

Nine of the Raiders 11 players on the 2011 roster are seniors. They have six hitters who stand 5’10 or taller. The Blue and Silver also have two tenacious middle hitters in Margaret McCloud and Kacey Herrmann leading the way.

Central entered the match with a scrappy young squad, but with only two seniors and were at a clear height disadvantage. The Cobblers played with heart, but it was all Raiders in the first meeting of the season between the two rivals.

Stevens made quick work of Central, winning the match in three games, 25-16, 25-18 and 25-21.

As usual, Stevens thrived behind strong performances from Hermmann and McCloud, but throughout Thursday night’s match one seemingly unfamiliar face kept stepping up at the most crucial movements. Keri Godbe was everywhere, and came up with gigantic kills throughout the night. The senior had about as solid of a debut as one could hope for, tying with teammate Herrmann to lead Stevens with 10 kills.

“It was my first-ever varsity home game,” Godbe told IDS after the match. ““My whole team pulled it together. They allowed me to get those points. The passers got it to the setters, and the setters were perfect.”

Godbe pounded out four kills in the first game alone, including a kill on the second-to-last point in the first game and scored kills on two of the last four points in the second game.

“Keri did really well,” said Raiders head coach Jonel Geske. “She stepped out on the court and worked super hard, and got some important points when we needed it. I was really proud of her.”

Herrmann totaled three solo blocks and nine block assists. Tessa Loberg added five aces and McCloud led the block/assist category with nine.

Following the first game, which was controlled by Stevens, the Cobblers made a charge in the second, with middle hitter Brittany Anderson scoring three kills as Central took a 15-11 lead. But things began to unravel for the Cobblers and a crucial sequence followed.

The Raiders would outscore Central 9-1 over the next ten points, led by McCloud and Herrmann kills and two aces from Loberg.

“It was great wasn’t it?” Geske said of Loberg’s serving. “The thing is, she’s had a back injury this week, so for her to step in and serve that well with her back giving her problems, that was really nice to see.”
In the third Central again raced out to an early lead before Stevens would even it at 9. With the score tied at 15 Central’s Lauren Schad scored three consecutive kills, but their inexperience would be their undoing.

After the next Raider point, Central couldn’t get a return in, and following a Loberg ace, miscommunication on the Cobbler side gave Stevens a 19-18 advantage. The teams went back and forth until it was 23-21, and Herrmann closed it out with a kill and a block.

Emily Herrerra paced the Cobblers with eight kills and Emily Anderson added seven kills. Aubrey Rypkema contributed 15 assists and had two aces.

The Raiders improve to 3-0 on the season with the win, while the Cobblers fall to 0-3. The next action for both teams is at the GDC duals in Sioux Falls on Sept. 9-10.