By Lori Ehde
New Luverne Teacher of the Year Bill Thompson loves his job for the same reason his students love his classes.

"It's all hands-on work, and we get to be creative," he said Monday. "The technology is always changing, and it's a challenge to come up with new projects. It's never boring as some lecture-based classes. It's creating, and we do such a wide variety of projects."

Since fall 1992 Thompson has taught high school graphic arts and seventh-grade technology education.

In graphic arts, students learn screen printing, desktop publishing and offset printing. Seventh-grade technology education includes problem solving projects such as bridge building, mousetrap-powered cars, CO2 dragsters, drafting and screen printing.

Thompson was honored Monday by his peers in the Luverne Education Association as the 2001 Teacher of the Year.

"It means a lot coming from your peers," he said. "It's nice to be recognized and noticed."

Thompson's peers had nice things to say about him in their nominations.

"He has turned around that Industrial Tech program in his years here," said Joel Swanson, last year's Teacher of the Year. "He is a positive influence on our kids and in our community."

Dennis Moritz had this to say about Thompson: "Bill does a fantastic job as a teacher here at Luverne. His graphic arts program more than prepares students for the world of work. He is very innovative in his teaching methods, organized and is very patient."

An unsigned nomination read, "His students have a great deal of respect for him and take pride in the projects and assignments he provides for them."

Another one, unsigned, said, "Bill spends more of his own time trying to meet the demands of his students along with many of the staff. He does this with the most professional manner and willingness. His attitude is remarkable, always a smile on his face. He brings credibility and accountability to all of his programs. He has and will continue to go the extra mile."

Thompson said he appreciates the recognition, but he said the district has been good to him, too.

"If you have a good program, the Luverne School District supports the program you have, whether its science or industrial technology," he said, pointing out that when his program needs new equipment, the administration has been generous in allowing it.

"This is a good school and a good area. We're from the Twin Cities and people ask us why we came here. It's because it's a great school system and a positive, progressive community."

Thompson said the job itself has its own rewards.

"Many of the students do well here because of the hands-on nature of the courses and that they create personalized projects. Some of the kids that struggle in other areas find that they can succeed here because learning can be fun, too," he said.

"It's not just a class for fun. It's a class where they learn possible career choices and computer-based skills as well. The computer and related technology has pretty much revolutionized the printing industry and how we teach."

The industrial tech and graphic arts program used to suffer from low student participation. "My first year here, I had probably 45-50 high school kids in my classes. In recent years, it's been well over 100 students. Sometimes students who register late don't get in."

Thompson said part of the appeal may be the finished, personalized products the students get to take with them, such as graduation announcements, thank-you cards and business cards.

T-shirts are also popular projects, especially those designed for Luverne athletic teams.

Thompson said much of what he's learned about students and teaching has come from current and recently retired teachers in Luverne. "All the veteran teachers who have retired in the last few years have really been helpful," he said.

Nominations for Teacher of the Year are invited from all LEA members, and the new Teacher of the Year is decided by the past five Teachers of the Year.

Last year, Joel Swanson was so honored, in 1999 it was Terry Althoff, in 1998 Shirley Harrison, in 1997 Russ Schneider and in 1996 Louise Berg.

This is the fifth year Thompson has been nominated for the award.

By Sara Quam
At budget time, the Rock County Community Pool and Fitness Center tries to balance the importance of recreation with financial restraints.

The weight of those considerations caused management to ask for more contributions from the county and city.

The actual budget for the center increased by about 5 percent, but revenue hasn't been meeting projections for a few years.

Director Darrell Huiskes and manager Carol Wessels set the next projections more realistically, so more was needed from taxpayers, county and city combined, for $122,048.

The Rock County Board and Luverne City Council voted on the joint budget item Monday, approving it with the exception of County Commissioners Wendell Erickson and Ron Boyenga who voted against it.

Boyenga said the 20-percent increase in the county's contribution is too great a leap for one year. He said he would rather see a rate increase for users or a budget cut.

This year is the first in three that the Pool and Fitness Center has needed a budget increase. The increases are attributed to salary adjustments and insurance increases.

Most elected officials at the meeting agreed that services have come at a good price to consumers.

County Commissioner Ken Hoime said, "There are just some things that are going to cost taxpayers money."

Luverne Mayor Bill Weber said, "There's not a bunch of extra fluff in this budget."

Councilman Alex Frick said that membership fees could be raised more than they have. The last raise was about 5 percent, and that was after years of a steady membership rate. Frick said a possibility of at least keeping up with inflation might help.

Wessels said that makes her nervous because in the past, rate increases have caused some members to quit.

Pool and Fitness Center management has tried to keep membership costs down in order to keep it a true "community" center rather than similar to a private health club.

Summer swims decline
Other area towns have outdoor water parks that attract some former Pool and Fitness Center customers. Pipestone, Brandon and Sioux Falls all have outdoor facilities, and Rock Rapids is planning one for next year.

Luverne's summer pool use has declined in recent years, with this summer's open swim attendance getting 7,299 uses. Past summers have been closer to the 11,500 mark.

Weber said it is important to "make what we have better nine months out of the year" rather than concentrate on what's missing during times when good weather draws other swimmers to outdoor pools. (Outdoor pools are generally open 55 days a year, counting days closed for bad weather.)

Ideally, the Pool and Fitness Center staff would like to include more indoor attractions that would draw families that are seeking water recreation elsewhere. A zero-depth entry has also been discussed for some time, but funds aren't immediately available for these options.

The Center is hoping to keep steady memberships Ñ right now at 848, and of that, nearly 275 are residents outside the city of Luverne. Those memberships bring in a steady stream of revenue that's more stable than the daily passes.

Huiskes and Wessels maintain that recreation is a vital part of the community, and that is something new residents and businesses look for when considering a move.

Wessels said the services provided by the facility's staff are something to be proud of. It is open 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Lifeguards are on duty, and personal trainers are available to members for free.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency continues to investigate contaminated soil that may be polluting Luverne's drinking water.

St. Paul geologists with the environmental firm, DPRA, are in town this week boring several holes in and around the Jubilee Foods parking lot.

The work is underway to uncover three of four existing monitoring wells which had been paved over when the new store went up this summer.

Also, several additional monitoring wells were drilled on and around the Jubilee lot to find the outer edges of the contamination "plume," according to geologist Donovan Hannu.

"We just need to determine whether or not it is moving in the direction of the city drinking water," Hannu said.

He said the additional periphery wells are part of the MPCA standard guidelines for investigating contaminated sites. They will be tested periodically to measure movement of the spill, if any.

DPRA geologist Brandon Flaada, who was taking samples in Luverne Tuesday, said the soil under the parking lot was heavily contaminated, but he said a sample taken that day east of the parking appeared to be clean. It will be lab tested for the presence of trichlorethylene (TCE) and other chemicals.

The Luverne Economic Development Authority, as a one-time owner of the property, is participating in a "voluntary investigation and cleanup" program with the MPCA, in addition to Jubilee Foods and former property owners.

Contaminated soil under the pavement was identified over a year ago as a likely source of TCE and petroleum-related chemicals found in four of Luverne's 16 municipal wells.

Only trace levels of the pollutants turned up in the water and levels were well below safe drinking standards. But TCE has been linked to cancer in humans exposed to the chemical over a period of 30 years.

Also, TCE is considered a "volatile organic compound" which tends to travel easily through soil to water.

"There is a potential risk here, and weÕre evaluating the level of that risk," said MPCA hydrogeologist David Scheer. "Your wells in that town are very shallow, and when thereÕs a contaminant in the ground water, we take it seriously."

The MPCA tested several properties in Luverne last year to find the source, and the former A.R. Wood property (what is now the Jubilee lot) was found to be contaminated with TCE.

TCE is used for degreasing metal, which is consistent with some of the activities reportedly having occurred on the property.

According to Scheer, the site is still under investigation to determine how serious the contamination is and if it's moving toward city wells.

It's too early to say what kind of cleanup measures, if any, will need to be taken.

The existing monitoring wells were in place when ground work was underway on the Jubilee lot. Because the well caps weren't at the proper elevation at the time the lot was paved, they were paved over, with the understanding that they would later need to be uncovered.

The one exposed monitoring well, located toward the northeast corner of the lot, is surrounded by a square concrete slab that slopes upward slightly in the center. The other wells will be finished similarly.

DPRS was hired by the responsible property owners as part of the VIC program.
If cleanup is necessary, it is unclear who would be responsible for the costs and what those costs would amount to.

A crowd filled Luverne Lanes Friday as it hosted Early Childhood Family Education for a night of Bumper Bowling. the modified version of the game suited the young sportsmen with air-filled tubes lining the alleys. The tubes prevented them from scoring only gutter balls.

Below, Tatiana Gust helps keep score at the table as her opponents take their turns. Nolan Sawtelle looks back to his dad, Thomas, for bowling advice.

The application to develop the former Fledgling Field into a funeral home was denied three months, three days after being turned in.

The Luverne City Council met in a special meeting last Friday after receiving the recommendation from the Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission not only voted to recommend denial of the conditional use application Oct. 30, but it voted to specify in the code books that funeral homes not be allowed in R-1, or low density, residential districts.

The Council voted to follow the Planning CommissionÕs recom-mendation, with Councilman Keith EricksonÕs addition of including R-2, multiple family, districts as a conditional use zone for funeral homes.

Cornerstone Construction is an architectural firm specializing in construction management for designing and building funeral homes. LuverneÕs Holm-Dingmann Funeral Home has said it will buy the constructed building, if developed.

Dan Dingmann said he plans on making the historic West Main Street building up to code, even if that means losing the historic designation. "ItÕs a beautiful building, but I donÕt think I have a choice," Dingmann said.

"Apparently they want a funeral home by the ethanol plant or ice arena. É They really made it tough for a local person to expand a business. ItÕs not like people are knocking down doors to build in town," Dingmann told the Star Herald Oct. 31.

Erickson said Friday, "In looking over the material, I see that there is a great deal of consistency. É An overwhelming number of cities do not place funeral homes in R-1, but when you look at R-2, I think a conditional use [is appropriate.]"

Council member Everett Brandenburg tried to further modify the Planning CommissionÕs recom-mendation by amending the bill to include conditional use permits for funeral homes in R-1 districts.

That motion died for lack of a second, and the council passed the bill to allow funeral homes in all zones of the city as either permitted or conditional uses except for R-1s. Brandenburg sounded the only nay on the vote.

Brandenburg, who is an employee at Holm-Dingmann Funeral Home, said he still believes that the Fledgling Field development is unique. He said that the high traffic of Highway 75 and the functions of a funeral home combine to make it a good fit for the former Fledgling Field.

"If it was in the middle of a residential area, yes, I would have a problem with it," he said.

Councilman Jim Kirchhofer, who also serves on the Planning Commission, said, "One of the things I felt we did is to look at residential areas as a whole. We hold residential areas in high regard as do other cities our size. I think when a resident buys a home in a residential part of town, he chooses to do that because of the neighborhood."

Mayor Bill Weber, who could only vote in the event of a tie, later said, "If I could have seconded the motion by Brandenburg [to allow funeral homes as a conditional use in R-1] I wouldÕve done so."

Weber said the city can still hold control when it allows development only under the "conditions" of a permit.

Councilman Alex Frick, who lives across from the property in question, said, "People put their whole savings into their homes. É If you choose to locate a business across the street from their home, you affect their stake in life."

Frick voted on the city-wide zoning amendments but declared a conflict because of his homeÕs location and abstained from voting on the Cornerstone application.

Erickson said, "A lot of people in the community would like to see this developed; itÕs a beautiful facility. É But there are no businesses after Culligan to Citgo. There are big, beautiful homes and some churches."

Robert Dorn, member of the Planning Commission, spoke about the similarity between churches and funeral homes, pointing out that churches are allowed in R-1 zones. He said, "I feel weÕre jerking the rug out from a kind of contract."

Dorn is referring to Cornerstone owner Gary Verkinnes, who said, "Several city officials led me to that property, in fact, said it would be a great spot for a funeral home."

Mayor Weber pointed out that any city officialÕs opinion does not bind the Planning Commission or City Council to a decision. The process of holding public hearings and proper application steps must always be followed.

By Lori Ehde
Council Chambers in Luverne City Hall were crowded with interested residents Tuesday night when local candidates met for a public forum.

Mayor
Mayoral candidates Bill Weber and Glen Gust were first in the hot seat.
In his opening statement, Gust said his first priority, if elected, would be to retain existing business and attract new ones to Luverne. His second priority would be to lower taxes. "I would encourage department heads to save money, not blow it at the end of the business cycle – the old ‘spend it or lose it’ mentality," Gust said.
In closing, he said he wants to restore "respect and accountability" to City Hall. "Instead of being locked up like Fort Knox, I will have an open-door policy," Gust said.
Weber’s opening statements focused on proud moments in Luverne leadership – particularly with regard to economic growth. He referred to the closing of IBP and the short time it took city leaders to attract Gold’n Plump.
He pointed to the fact that Luverne’s tax rate is lower than nearly all other cities in the state. "That’s because of the leadership of our City Council and all involved in city services," Weber said.
Many of the questions posed to the mayoral candidates dealt with what they would do to encourage growth and to improve the business climate in Luverne.
Gust said he’d improve city employees’ image, for starters. "We need to offer customer service. When people come to Luverne, they need to feel welcome," he said. "I’ve been door knocking … and we do hear a lot of comments about how rude some our City Hall people are. If I were mayor, everyone in City Hall would go to customer service school."
Weber said he believes City Hall has improved in recent years, as far as being more accessible to the public, but he focused more on accomplishments that have encouraged growth.
"We need to continue focusing on redevelopment issues," he said, referring to downtown. He said TIF has been an asset to the community.
The first TIF project was on the east end of Main Street where Pamida used to be and where two retail businesses are now located.
Gust said he thinks more responsibility should rest with the private sector to attract business.
"The way you generate excitement is through going out and talking to people, saying "Hey! We’ve got a great retail market here.’" Gust said. "I got Tim and Karin to come here and open the Sears and Furniture House, and we did that without government help."
Gust’s closing remarks centered on change. "I think change is very healthy," he said. "It infuses government with a new level of excitement. I have an opportunity to breathe a new life into city government," he said.
Weber’s closing remarks reminded voters that the city has serious challenges ahead that will require experienced leadership.
"We have had some tremendous successes in this city, and I thank the residents for the opportunity to serve," he said.
When Luverne took over temporary ownership of the IBP plant, Weber said, "Some people say that’s a risk; I say that’s leadership."

Council
North ward council candidates Everett Brandenburg and Tom Martius and south ward council candidates Dave Hauge and Dave Cook were next on the panel.
One of the first questions posed to the candidates was what they would change about city government.
Hauge said he’d start listening to residents more. "The first thing I’d do is take the buzzer off that door downstairs," he said. "They’re entitled to be heard from, and they will be heard."
Hauge’s opponent, Cook, said the best change for the city would be a younger voice in leadership. "I think it’s time for the younger generation to step up and get involved," he said.
Brandenburg, who’s seeking re-election to his north ward seat, said he wouldn’t change anything. "When you look at our accomplishments in the past few years … we’ve kept taxes well in line, we’ve added equipment … I don’t think I would change anything," he said. "The city is growing, and I think we’re enjoying the fruits of our labor."
Martius agreed things are going well, but he said that’s no reason not to run for office. "Myself, I like challenge," he said. "I’d like to be voted in and be part of the action."
The candidates were asked how they’d vote on whether or not to develop Fledgling Field.
Martius said he understands why some residents wouldn’t want a funeral home in their back yard, but he said he’d support the recommendation of the Planning Commission.
Brandenburg supported development. "I feel very strongly it should be developed," he said, "either as a funeral home or residential apartments."
Hauge disagreed. "I think it’d be a good idea to leave Fledgling Field the way it is. It’s the only centrally-located park …" he said. "I’d feel terrible if some 8-year-old kid walking to some park on the edge of town gets hit by a car."
Cook didn’t like the question. "This is one of those deals where you might as well back up and shoot yourself in the foot, because no matter what you say, you’re going to lose votes," he said.
It was the only response all night that drew applause from the audience.
Cook did take a stand on the issue, though. "They (opponents of development) had a chance to buy it – maybe they should have bought it," he said. "I say develop it. They’re (the funeral home) not asking for TIF money or any help from the city."

School board
Six candidates are running for three open seats on the Luverne School Board. They include incumbents Don Bryan and Steve Tofteland, and challengers Dee Stanley, Greg Aubert, Colleen Deutsch and Tony Chladek.
Stanley said as a mother of young children, she would bring representation to the board for elementary-age children. She also said she’d work to improve communication between the board and the district.
Aubert said one of the things he’d work for is to bring the hockey program and School Board closer together. "I think there’s some work there that needs to be done," he said.
Deutsch said, as a parent of a special needs child, she’d bring important experience to the board in the area of special needs. Also she serves on area collaborative boards regarding youth, and she could strengthen the board’s ties to those groups.
Chladek said he would work to bring more school-to-work opportunities to Luverne students. "There are professionals in this community who have a lot to share with our students," he said. He said the ultimate goal would be for Luverne grads to return home for their careers.
Tofteland said he believes he’s done the best he can do while serving on the board and that maintaining quality education is a challenge for the future.
Bryan said he’s seeking re-election because he wants to serve the district. "I’ve been so pleased with the district, and I wanted to do what I could for the district," he said.
He agreed with Tofteland that his goal, if re-elected, would be to work for continued improvement in quality of education.

The forum, which lasted an hour and 40 minutes, was sponsored by the Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce, and moderated by Matt Crosby, of K101-KQAD radio.
Time was divided equally among the races, with 30 minutes for major, 30 for council and 30 for School Board.

Savoring the flavor
Wine sales have seen a national increase in recent years, and the Luverne off-sale is no exception.
"People drink wine for all kinds of reasons," Hess said. "People have heard about the studies that say red wine can lower cholesterol, and they drink it with dinner or have a glass to unwind at the end of the day."
Even though Blue Mound Liquor is considered a mid-sized store, Hess said she’s proud that it offers big variety.
"People have stopped in from places like Minneapolis and say, ‘Wow, I thought this was a small-town store,’" Hess said. "It’s nice to have a variety of wines because everyone’s tastes are different."
For novice wine drinkers, Hess said it doesn’t hurt to ask questions. "I’ll try to help, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll sure try to find out. … We’re always willing to go the extra mile."
Taking those extra steps to keep customers happy proved to be a nice surprise for one Sioux Falls couple. They chanced upon Blue Mound Liquor and stopped in to ask about special orders. They weren’t hopeful after being turned down by all the other liquor stores they asked, but Blue Mound came through.
"Now they come twice a year to pick up their case of Portuguese wine, and they can’t thank us enough," Hess said.
A few local people have placed special orders or have inquired about rare wines. Hess can usually help by conducting her own research or by asking wine suppliers.
Being tempted by the finer points of wine might be more common this time of year. "When it gets a little cooler, the wine and liquor sales pick up," Hess said. That’s opposed to beer, which peaks during the summer.
Holidays generally bring the business heavy traffic, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even Easter can increase sales because it’s a time when people gather for a big meal and may want a rich beverage to accompany it.
Whether it’s near the holidays or just a common time of year, Blue Mound Wine Club members meet to explore their palates.
Each wine tasting event requires a one-time permit that allows the club to meet for four hours. The club is loosely structured, and at $7 a person, is open to about 30 people per tasting which closes with a serving of a specially-made Coffey Haus dessert.

Some best selling wines locally
Beringer — White Zinfandel, White Merlot, Chenin Blanc
Fetzer — Johannesburg Riesling, Merlot, Gewürztraminer
Jacob’s Creek — The entire line is recommended
St. Gabriel — This new brand has sold well
Turning Leaf — Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, White Zinfandel

Wine online
The Internet is loaded with sites about wine — you can purchase directly from some, and others are more educational. Here are some sites that will help you navigate the wide world of wines:
www.wine.com
www.wine-lovers-page.com
www.smartwine.com/chat
www.speakeasy.org/~winepage/cellar/wtg.html
www.wineeducation.org

By Sara Quam
With intimate table settings of sparkling glassware and candlelight, the Coffey Haus hosted a wine tasting event Thursday, Oct. 12. Patrons were offered cheeses, breads, fruit and, of course, a sampling of wines from Blue Mound Liquor.
Through these monthly wine tastings the Blue Mound Wine Club adds a little more depth to the "red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat" guideline. It’s about taste and personal preferences without the rigid rules.
Wine Club founder and Blue Mound Liquor employee Christy Hess said, "I found out about a wine club in another small town and I went and it was a wonderful time."
Using that as her inspiration and with support from store manager Rich DeSchepper, Hess created the Blue Mound Wine Club last year and taught herself what she could about wines.
"There’s always something to learn. I was never a wine drinker," Hess said. "But it’s fun and interesting. And with the club, people who don’t want to be out the money can just sample and learn and buy the ones they like."
Representatives from different wine companies attend the tastings and offer advice and product information.
Club member Marcia Ossenfort decorates the tables and has attended most of the wine tasting events. "I feel I’ve learned a lot more about wines and what to look for in a wine. My taste has really broadened since I started going to these."
Being free to develop individual tastes outside of what is considered "good wine" appeals to Linda Hess and Velda Maine. They lightheartedly judged whether a wine was too dry by determining if it "makes your tonsils curl up."

The Cards, however, regrouped to best Martin County West in a five-game match in Luverne Monday before sweeping a three-game test from Russell-Tyler-Ruthton in Tyler Tuesday.
Luverne, 10-11-1 overall, caps the regular season by playing in Redwood Falls tonight and against Southwest Christian in Edgerton Tuesday.

Luverne 3, R-T-R 0
The momentum Luverne gained by winning a five-game match against MCW Monday carried over into Tuesday’s match in Tyler.
The R-T-R Knights are a good team that could win the Camden Conference title next week, but they were no match for the Cards.
LHS outscored R-T-R 45-13 while securing 15-4, 15-4 and 15-5 victories.
"We were in control the entire match," said Cardinal coach Mary Jo Graphenteen. "We cut down the number of errors we’ve been making, and we pretty much handled them. Everything was flowing for us, and they couldn’t get any kind of rhythm going. It was a great win for us.’
Susan Remme led the Cardinals to victory by notching 14 kills and completing 19 of 19 serves while scoring 12 points.
Emily Kuhlman and Tracey Scheidt had five kills each for a Luverne squad that had a season-low five hitting errors in the match.
Luverne also missed a season-low two serves.
Amy Nunez (11 of 11), Brooke Lundgren (12 of 12), Erin Lammert (eight of eight) and Scheidt (13 of 14) all had successful nights at the service line.

Luverne 3, MCW 2
The Cardinal girls snapped a season-long five-match losing streak when they bested the visiting Mustangs in a five-game match played in Luverne Monday.
LHS knew it would be in for a tough battle against MCW, a team that had bested squads like Jackson County Central and P-J, teams that had beaten the Cards earlier in the year.
Luverne, however, posted three narrow wins in Games 1, 2 and 5 to win the marathon match.
"It was a classic match of how volleyball is played," said Cardinal coach Graphenteen. "It was exciting, stressful, fun and disheartening all at the same time. It was a match that had everything in all five games, and it was a good match to win."
Four of the games were decided by two points, and Luverne was fortunate to come out on top in three of them.
The Cards gained the upper hand early by recording 18-16 and 15-13 in the first two games.
Luverne was in a position to sweep the Mustangs during Game 3, but Graphenteen said she accepted the blame for a substitution infraction that cost the Cards a point during a 17-15 loss.
Everything went MCW’s way in Game 4, when the Mustangs strolled to a 15-2 win to even the match at two games each.
Game 5 was tightly contested from beginning to end.
A 5-1 surge by LHS snapped a deadlock at seven and gave the Cards a 12-8 cushion, but MCW countered with five straight points to move in front 13-12.
MCW led 14-13 when Luverne’s Emily Kuhlman, who usually is rotated out of Luverne’s line-up when it’s her turn to serve, remained in the game and delivered an ace serve to knot the score at 14.
MCW scored the next point before Brooke Lundgren, who was 35 of 37 serving with 25 points and two aces in the match, served a three-point run that gave the Cards a 17-15 victory.
Susan Remme had another big night for the Cards by recording a team-high 29 kills. Kuhlman and Tracey Scheidt added 12 and 10 kills respectively.
Erin Lammert completed all 23 of her serves in the match and scored 10 points.
Graphenteen also singled out a contribution made by Amy Nunez. Nunez received six serves when MCW was testing her in the fifth game, and five of her passes went directly to the setter, while the other was playable.

HWC tourney
The Cardinal girls were unable to record a win while playing three matches during the Hull (Iowa) Western Christian Tournament Saturday.
Luverne played two Minnesota teams and the host school, coming up on the short end of scores in six straight battles.
"We played well at times and put ourselves in a position to be competitive," said Cardinal coach Graphenteen. "At other times we were simply overmatched."
The Cards drew a tough task when they were pitted against Central Minnesota Christian in the tournament’s first round.
CMC, the state’s No. 1-ranked Class 1A team, upended LHS 15-8 and 15-2.
Luverne played well in the early stages of Game 1 against CMC, trailing 8-7 at one point, but CMC reeled off seven straight points to win the contest.
The Cards played Southwest Christian during the second round and came up on the short end of 17-15 and 15-10 scores.
LHS led the E-Gals 12-5 in the first game of the match before being outscored 11-3 the rest of the way.
HWC kept the Cardinals winless for the day by delivering them 15-9 and 15-2 losses in the finale.
"Overall, I was pleased with the way we played. With the type of competition we were facing, we hung in there pretty well," Graphenteen concluded.
Susan Remme emerged as Luverne’s top attacker by recording 22 kills during the event. Abbey Franken and Brooke Lundgren added six and five kills respectively.
Erin Lammert and Lundgren both completed 24 serves without a miss.
With back-row specialist Lisa Mulder unable to play due to an illness, Graphenteen said Missy Boomgaarden did an excellent job in her absence. The coach said putting Amy Nunez and Franken on the floor proved to be a successful combination for LHS.