Photo by Samantha Davis. Senior Aubreigh Rausch (right side, smiling) celebrates with her team after collecting her 1,000th career set assist. She had 28 assists on the night in Lakeview’s 3-1 victory to Murray County Central on Tuesday night. Below: Seniors Aubreigh Rausch (10) and Carmen Varpness (5) block the ball on Murray County Central’s Kate Blankenship.

COTTONWOOD — With both teams competing for their first win in the early start of the season, Lakeview defeated Murray County Central 3-1 on Tuesday night at Lakeview High School. Senior setter Aubreigh Rausch had a record night to make the victory even more memorable, collecting her 1,000th career set assist.

“It was really great. I mean, I had this goal starting at the beginning of my senior year — That I wanted to get this, because it’s just such a milestone,” Rausch said, overwhelmed with emotion. “I was a little nervous that I wasn’t going to get it, but I didn’t realize it was that close, and I had no idea it was coming tonight.”

In set scores of 25-19, 25-19, 25-16 and 25-19 with the Rebels taking set two, senior Thea Schneider had nine kills while freshman Suttyn Schryvers added eight of her own to power MCC in. Sophomore Taylor Hinz led Lakeview with 18 kills, Rausch had 28 set assists and 11 digs, junior Teegan Fiene had 18 digs and three service aces and sophomore Jersey Stensrud had 14 digs to add.

“There’s a few hiccups with serve receive, but overall, I feel like their serve receive has gotten tremendously better,” Lakeview head coach Alexis Lienemann said. “Today, they really bettered the ball, and even in a rut, they made sure to put it where they could hit it.”

Both teams finished with an overall 11-15 record last season. Becky Reinsma and Katie Furth are in their third year co-coaching the Rebels, while Lienemann, former Lakers player herself, takes on her first year leading the helm.

“[I’m] really proud. I think we have built this program and team together,” Rausch said. “Our back row has improved so much, and our front row is becoming more aggressive and just looked really good this game.”

In the closely-competitive match, Lakeview jumped out winning the first set.

A majority of the first set was point for point, each team quickly responding. Fiene got the match started with an ace serve for the Lakers, and Schryvers followed up with a kill for the Rebels.

Schryvers paced MCC through the first set, with a team-high three kills on three attacks. Hinz had two kills through the first for Lakeview.

The Lakers took a timeout when they were up 18-17, after a few MCC kills kept a close score, where they were able to quickly secure the set 25-19 after grouping.

Lakeview got off to a quick 6-1 jump in the second set, forcing a timeout from MCC, which they then went on to score seven points in a row to force Lakeview to call a timeout with a 10-7 lead.

To cut the deficit, MCC’s Schneider had a block and junior Kate Blankenship had a diving save out of bounds to keep the ball in play, which the Rebels were able to finish the point.

The Rebels continued their stride, capitalizing to a 19-13 lead. The Rebels secured their 20th point on an overserve from Lakeview.

“The communication piece,” Lienemann said about what they can improve. “It’s eye sequencing, which means like, ‘Where is the setter on the other side of the net? Where are the hitters coming from?’ … Really talking volleyball, I.Q., I think we can get better at that, and then just holding ourselves accountable to doing it.”

Blankenship had three kills throughout the second set for MCC.

With a cushioned 24-13 Rebels lead, Lakeview was able to cut the deficit with five additional points before another kill for Schryvers secured the second set victory for the Rebels 25-19.

Hinz had another six kills for the Lakers, and Blankenship had three for the Rebels.

“In the game we won, we blocked and we moved really well,” Reinsma said.

Schneider continued to keep MCC within check, tallying her fourth kill of the night to start the third set for their second point.

“It [Schneider’s performance] was pretty good,” Reinsma said. “She got called on a couple of her sets, and she made adjustments and she didn’t get a single call after that.”

On Lakeview’s fifth point of the third match, Rausch collected her 1,000th career set assist, as tears from the player and coach let out and the gym erupted in cheers from fans and applause came from the MCC bench.

“What that means to her is the world, having gone through so many seasons … That was just everything for her,” Lienemann said. “I feel very honored just to be a part of her journey on that. It was just amazing and great to have it on a win.”

Rausch hugged her teammates as signs from behind the Lakeview bench were being held up, supporting the accomplishment.

To continue the good moment, the Lakers climbed to a 10-3 lead before forcing an MCC timeout.

Lakeview became consistent with capitalizing on their lead. Taylor, Avery Hinz and Rausch contributed with kills in addition to blocks, fallen possessions and out of bounds attacks.

Schneider collected a handful more kills for MCC in an attempt to stay within reach, although it was not enough as Lakeview took the third set 25-16 after an attack fell short and hit the net for MCC.

Going into the fourth set, the game could still belong to either team with the back and forth competition the night was bringing.

Rausch continued her historic night while collecting more set assists to help Lakeview grab an 8-2 lead to begin the set, resulting in MCC calling a timeout.

Blankenship had a diving save in the back of the court to pop it back to the frontline, who were able to attack and tied the match at eight.

A block from Rausch and senior Megan Schwartz gave them the one point advantage, and the Rebels in return immediately tied it up again and took the point lead.

Junior Calleigh Doeden spiked a hard kill to the empty back left court to create an MCC 15-10 lead, forcing a timeout from Lakeview, and not letting the game escape easily.

Lakeview tied the game back at 17 with the help of senior Carmen Varpness, who collected two kills in a row at middle net. She is the tallest on the team, standing at 5-foot-11, sporting a challenge for opponents to get over.

Another kill from Taylor, who had eight total in the fourth set, continued to put the Lakers on top, while Schryvers hit a few more successful attacks herself and Rausch cultivated ten set assists in the set as well.

“It’s just cool to see what a group of girls can come together and do,” Rausch said.

Edging closer to their first victory in a nail-biting game, Taylor hit a set assist to junior Aubrey Nething to win the game.

“It feels so good, winning back in your community, and everybody was here,” Lienemann said. “It was so loud and it was so fun. I feel overjoyed, and I feel very proud of their efforts, and that’s why we said just go do the little things, and win by doing the little things.”

MCC, 0-2, will next host Dawson-Boyd on Thursday at 7 p.m., while Lakeview, 1-2, will travel to Edgerton High School on Thursday for a 7 p.m. game.