Wittman leads Saber to tough 3-0 win

Billed as the state's top player, University of Minnesota recruit Ashley Wittman was all that and more for Class 3A No. 1 ranked Shakopee Thursday in a 3-0 win over Hutchinson.

Still, the Tigers remained competitive, even taking a 21-18 lead in game two. Still up two at 23-21, Hutchinson commited four straight unforced errors to fall in game two, 25-23.

Shakopee won game one 25-20 and game three 25-16.

Wittman recorded unofficially 20 kills, but at times had trouble pentrating a double block. She had five hitting errors in game one, but the youthful Tigers, who started just two seniors, could not capitalize.

Poor serve receive led to five straight Shakopee points early in game one. Down 11-7 following Laura Carlson's first kill, Shakopee extended the lead to 17-9 with Wittman in the back row. Hutchinson managed to cut the lead to 22-16 and then 24-20, but a Wittman blast gave the Sabers game one.

Hutchinson took their biggest lead over the Sabers in the past three years with a 5-1 advantage. Shakopee eventually tied it up at 11, but the Tigers kept attacking the net led by Carlson and her younger sister, Sara.

Following a Tessa Ewert ace, Hutchinson led 20-17. After a timeout at 21-20, Laura Carlson gave the Tigers a two-point lead with a kill. The lead went to 23-21, but Hutchinson was unsuccessful in three straight attempts in returning the serve following a setting error.

With the score tied at four in game three, Shakopee won five straight points, never trailing by more than four the rest of the way. Jessica Zieman did a record a block on Wittman, while Katie Maher had a service ace at 20-14.

Laura Carlson led the Tigers unofficially with 10 kills, while Mackenzie Piechowski had five kills and three blocks. Sara Carlson also had five kills, while Kayla Tronick had three ace blocks.

Hutchinson (15-8) hosts Red Wing in the regular season finale at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Eric Kraushar is the sports editor at the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sports@hutchinsonleader.com.