A strong serving and blocking performance helped propel the Marshall volleyball team past the MACCRAY Wolverines in three straight sets in Clara City Thursday.

The Tigers, who have been ranked No. 2 in Class AA for most of the season, improve to 23-3 with the 25-8, 25-18, 25-9 win.

"We served well and only had two errors on the night," said MHS head coach Dan Westby. "That's a plus for us. There were a number of long volleys in the match. We've really been working on blocking in practice and I thought the longer the match went on, the better we blocked. It was good to see that carry over."

Rachel Westby and Jessica Baker dominated at the net as each earned six ace blocks, while Amy Full added four.

"This was another match that can help us get ready for sections," Dan Westby said. "It's always difficult to play in Clara City, but I thought our kids handled that pretty well. They have a low ceiling and there are some difficult adjustments. It's always nice to win on the road."

The Tigers had a strong defensive night as well, with Kayla Wallerich digging up 12 balls, Alyssa Netzke earning 11 digs and Kelsey Deragisch saving nine balls. Dani Beekman and Rachel Westby each added eight digs.

"I thought Alyssa Netzke passed the ball well," said Dan Westby. "That certainly helps things go well."

Netzke was also 15-for-15 with two aces behind the serving line, while Kelsey Michelson was 14-for-14 with two aces. Beekman was 16-for-16.

Offensively, Rachel Westby led MHS with nine kills, while Wallerich had six, Baker four and Full two. Wallerich and Deragisch each earned 11 set assists in the contest.

Up next, the Tigers (23-3, 5-1 Southwest Conference) host Moorhead Saturday.

"It's our last match before playoffs," Dan Westby said. "I don't know too much about Moorhead, but we want to go out and play well at home. We're trying to get ready for that playoff run and we have a chance to make that last little tune up."

Marshall25 25 25

MACCRAY8 18 9

MARSHALL INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Serving (good-att-aces): Kelsey Deragisch 9-9-0, Alyssa Netzke 15-15-2, Rachel Westby 6-6-0, Kelsey Michelson 14-14-2, Dani Beekman 16-16-0.

Kills: Westby 9, Beekman 8, Kayla Wallerich 6, Jessica Baker 4, Amy Full 2.

Digs: Wallerich 12, Netzke 11, Deragisch 9, Westby 8, Beekman 8.

Set Assists: Deragisch 11, Wallerich 11.

Blocks: Westby 6, Baker 6, Full 4.