The Crookston Pirate Volleyball team hosted the Climax-Fisher Knights on Monday for Senior Night. The Pirates were honoring their nine seniors, Anna Funk, Hannah Brouse, Julia Lallier, Emilee Tate, Lorelai Hebert, Grace Fischer, Libby Salentine, Brianna Wardner, and Destiny Goulet-Ramirez. The Pirates battled the entire night, but Climax-Fisher was a little better winning the match in three sets (25-18, 25-21, 25-19).
First Set –
The opening set was evenly matched with neither team leading by more than two points and Climax-Fisher taking an early 6-5 lead. The Knights slowly started to build a lead thanks partly to their serving, and Sophia Nesvig and Halle Reitmeier each had aces to help the Knights pull ahead 11-8. Crookston would respond with back-to-back blocks from Destiny Goulet-Ramirez to pull back within one point, but after three more Climax-Fisher points, they led 14-10. Climax-Fisher got in on the block party and Peyton Hoffman was able to deliver a couple of blocks on their way to a 19-12 lead to force a Pirates timeout. The teams traded a couple of points from there, but the Pirates found themselves down 24-14 needing a huge rally to avoid dropping the first set. They would score four straight, but the Knights would put an end to the run, and win the opening set 25-18 to take the early lead.
Second Set –
The Knights took an early 4-1 lead in the second set thanks to two kills and a block from Peyton Hoffman. Hoffman’s excellent play continued, as Climax-Fisher pulled ahead to a 10-3 lead thanks to two aces from Hoffman, and a few Pirates mistakes. That forced a Crookston timeout to talk things over. After two more points from the Knights, Grace Fischer would put an end to the run with a kill. That would spark an 8-2 run to help Crookston cut the deficit to 14-11. The run was also highlighted by a pair of aces by Libby Salentine. The Knights would pull ahead 19-13 but the Pirates would get back within three points at 19-16 as a 3-0 run was capped off by a Libby Salentine block. That would be as close as Crookston would get, and Climax-Fisher would fend off the comeback and win the set 25-21, ending it on a Sophia Nesvig kill.
Third Set –
The Knights blitzed the Pirates to start the third and what would end up being the final set, scoring the first six points to take a 6-0 lead. Like always, Crookston fought back scoring ten of the next fifteen points to pull within one point trailing 11-10. The Knights never let the Pirates tie things up and would rattle off three straight points capped off by a Halle Reitmeier ace to give the Knights a 14-10 lead. They maintained that lead for the rest of the set staying in front by two to three points until they led 20-17. Crookston would get two of the next three points to pull back within two points trailing 21-19, but Climax-Fisher would end the match by scoring the last four points to win the set 25-19.
Crookston falls to 2-20 and will end the regular season tomorrow night at Roseau. Climax-Fisher improves to 12-9 with the win. To watch back the match, search KROX Radio on YouTube.
FOR PIRATES COACH KATIE ENGELSTAD’S COMMENTS, CLICK BELOW
FOR CLIMAX-FISHER COACH BRENDA SLYT’S COMMENTS, CLICK BELOW
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Climax-Fisher | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| CROOKSTON | 18 | 21 | 19 |
For CROOKSTON
Kills – Anna Funk- (6), Libby Salentine- (5), Destiny Goulet-Ramirez- (4)
Blocks – Libby Salentine- (3), Anna Funk, Destiny Goulet-Ramirez- (1 each)
Digs – Dani Kresl- (13), Anna Funk- (8)
Assists – Libby Salentine- (15)
Aces – Libby Salentine- (3), Grace Fischer, Hannah Brouse- (1 each)
For Climax-Fisher
Kills – Peyton Hoffman- (14), Halle Reitmeier- (6), Lucy Paulsrud- (5)
Blocks – Peyton Hoffman- (6), Meah Marshall- (5)
Digs – Ella Paulsrud- (21), Sarah Thoreson- (18), Lucy Paulsrud- (16)
Assists – Sophia Nesvig- (26)
Aces – Peyton Hoffman- (7), Sarah Thoreson- (3)
