The Crookston Pirate Volleyball team played its first match lasting more than three sets in nearly two years. They stormed back to win set three, but the Bagley Flyers held on to win in four sets by a score of 25-14, 25-9, 24-26, 25-17 in the Pirates’ season opener and home opener at the Crookston High School Gymnasium.
Crookston Pirate Volleyball vs the Bagley Flyers (8-25-25)
FIRST SET
The teams struggled at the beginning, which is to be expected with the first match of the year. The set was tied at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8. Crookston had an 8-7 lead after a Bagley illegal rotation call before the Flyers went on a 7-0 run with kills from Kaley Thompson and MaKalyn Home. Thompson followed with a service ace before Crookston had four attack errors, and Bagley had a 14-8 lead. Bagley continued to control play with kills from Elexis Soderstrom, McKalyn Hoie, and Thompson. Bagley added an ace from MaKalyn Hoie combined with seven Crookston attack and service errors allowed Bagley to pull away for a 25-14 victory.
SECOND SET
Crookston jumped out to a 3-1 lead, and after the Pirates were called for being in the net, Bagley’s Stella Jesness had a kill to tie the set at 3-3. Bagley took the lead when Crookston was in the net again. The set was tied at 4-4 before Soderstrom had a kill to give the Flyers the lead for good. Bagley led 7-6 when Kaitlyn Kumpula had a kill and a block for a 9-6 lead. Bagley had a few more kills and an ace, and after a Pirate point, MaKalyn Hoie had a kill, and Kumpula followed with a block for a 14-7 lead. Bagley dominated the rest of the way as they had three more kills from Soderstrom, two more kills from MaKalyn Hoie, and Kumpula added a kill and a block for a kill and an ace as the Flyers cruised to a 25-9 victory.
THIRD SET
The teams continued to battle back and forth in the third set with a tie at 4-4 before Bagley took a 7-4 lead behind two Crookston errors and a Bagley ace from Kyra Lynch for a 7-4 lead. Bagley hit out of bounds, and Abrams followed with an ace to bring the Pirates within a 7-6 deficit. Bagley responded with a kill from Thompson, and they slowly built a 14-10 lead.
Crookston slowly battled back while taking advantage of several Flyer errors and tied the set at 15-15 with an Abi Bruley kill. Crookston took the lead after a Madi Abrams kill. The teams were tied at 16 and 18 before Crookston had three straight errors, and Bagley led 21-18. Bagley led 22-20 when Crookston’s Uttermark had a kill before Bagley hit it out of bounds, and the set was tied at 22-22. Bagley hit into the net before Bagley’s Soderstrom had a kill to tie it at 23. With the match tied at 24, Bagley hit it into the net, and Bagley hit it out of bounds on the next point, and Crookston won the set 26-24.
FOURTH SET
For the first time since August 29, 2023, the Crookston Pirate Volleyball team was playing in a fourth set and the Pirates had a great start to the fourth set and jumped out to a 7-1 lead behind a Jayde Uttermark kill and three straight aces by Bryanna Kopecky, and Bagley had an attack error for the six-point Pirate lead. Bagley settled down and responded with a 10-1 run while taking advantage of Crookston errors, three kills from Kaley Thompson, and a kill from Mazie Hoie to take an 11-9 lead. The set was tied at 12, 13, 14, and 15 before Bagley ended the set on a 10-2 run. to win the set 25-17 to win the match 3-1.
Crookston drops 0-1 on the year and will host Mahnomen/Waubun on Tuesday night. Bagley improves to 1-0 on the year.
J.V. – Bagley won 2-0 (25-17, 25-15) C Squad – Crookston won 2-0 (25-14, 25-18)
Click above to listen to Coach Morgan’s comments
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| Bagley | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 |
| Crookston | 14 | 9 | 26 | 17 |
For Crookston
Kills – Jayde Uttermark – 8, Abi Bruley – 5, Brynna Kopecky 3
Blocks – Rilynn Aubol – 2, Madi Abrams – 1
Digs – Ella Anderson – 8, Allysen Wagner – 7, Lana Peterson – 7
Assists- Rilynn Aubol – 16
Aces –Bryanna Kopecky – 3, Madi Abrams -2, Jayde Uttermak – 1
For Bagley
Kills – Elexis Soderstrom – 11, MaKalyn Hoie – 8, Kaley Thompson – 8, Mazie Hoie – 5
Aces – MaKalyn Hoie – 3, Kaitlyn Kumpula – 3, Mazie Hoie – 2
