By Theodore Tollefson

This week, the Hastings Raiders Volleyball team opened their 2021 season on the road at Rosemount High School and hosted their first home game of the year against Park High of Cottage Grove.

The first game on Tuesday, August 31 against Rosemount was a low scoring affair for the Raiders. During the first set, the Raiders only scored nine points before the Irish won.The second set saw the same exact score from both sides giving Rosemount a two to nothing start that they capitalized on in the third and final set. Rosemount won the final set 25-8, handing the Raiders their first loss of the season.

Thursday, September 2, brought about the second game of the Raiders Volleyball season which fared slightly better for the team playing their first home game against the Park High School Wolfpack. The first set of the game started off with an eight to nothing run by the Wolfpack. The Raiders were able to bounce back from the eight to nothing start but ended up losing the first set 25-11.

The second set was the closest set the Raiders have had so far in the season. The Raiders had a back-and-forth going on the lead with the Wolfpack to start the set. Once the score was tied at 10-10 though, the Wolfpack were able to take the advantage and go on a seven point streak. The Raiders ended up losing the second set 18-25.

The third and final set from Thursday nights game saw a decrease in points for the Raiders, as Park High was able to complete the sweep of the game 25-14. This brings the Raiders to an 0-2 start on the season. The Raiders will have played their third game of the season against Apple Valley by the time of publishing, results of which will be in next week’s Hastings Journal.

Tonight, the Raiders Volleyball team will be on the road playing the South St. Paul Packers at South St. Paul High School at 7:00 p.m.