TRF ENDS CROOKSTON VOLLEYBALL’S SEASON IN FIRST ROUND OF SECTION TOURNEY

The Crookston Pirate Volleyball team battled early in each set, but the Thief River Falls Prowlers used fantastic net play to pull away to win 3-0 (25-10, 25-10, 25-17) in the first round of the Section 8AA Volleyball playoffs in Thief River Falls.

First Set
Thief River Falls got off to a quick start scoring the first three points in the set. Crookston would get back into the match with a little rally, and after a kill from Mackenzie Funk, the Pirates trailed 6-3. The Prowlers would respond and counter with a run of their own to build up a 12-5 lead and force a Crookston timeout. Thief River Falls continued to heat up and would score seven more before the Pirates got back on the scoreboard. In total, the Prowlers had rattled off 11 straight points to help take a 19-6 lead. Anna Funk and Destiny Goulet-Ramirez would each get a kill for Crookston in the remainder of the set, but the Prowlers would cruise to an opening set victory 25-10.

Second Set
Crookston’s Libby Salentine started the second set with a service ace, and that sparked a little Pirate run after two Thief River Falls passing errors for a 3-0 lead.  Crookston’s next serve sailed out of bounds to spark a 7-0 Prowler run. Carlie Rogalla hammed down a spike, followed by a Pirate error and a service ace off the top of the net, and Thief River Falls led 4-3.  Crookston stopped the four-point run by the Prowlers with a Nesseth kill to tie the set at 4-4.  TRF continued the run with a kill from Johnson, a point off Crookston miscommunication, and a Prowler block from Peterson for a 7-4 lead.  Crookston finally stopped the run when Mackenzie Funk had a block followed by a Prowler attack error and a four-hit call, and the set was tied 7-7. 
Thief River Falls settled down, and after a Crookston service error, the Prowlers took over the match on a 13-1 run behind solid serving from Peterson and Harbott for a 19-8 lead.  Trailing 21-9, Crookston’s Destiny Goulet-Ramirez had a kill to get within a 21-10 deficit, but the Prowlers scored the final four points and won the second set 25-10. 

Third Set
Thief River Falls jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Crookston got their first point on a Prowler attack error.  The teams exchanged points and Crookston got within a 4-2 deficit, but TRF’s net play was too much with a couple of blocks to take a 7-2 lead.  Crookston’s net play came up big with three straight blocks to get within a 7-5 deficit.
On the next point, a Crookston set went over the net and the Prowlers blasted a kill, only to have the Pirate’s Goulet-Ramirez follow with a kill.  TRF’s front row continued their domination at the net as Waldahl had a big kill.  Libby Salentine followed with a kill and Crookston trailed 9-8, but Waldahl responded with a big kill to give her team a 10-8 lead.  Thief River Falls was called for a lift and after the teams exchanged points the Prowlers led 11-10.  Once again, it seemed like TRF wore the Pirates down as the set went along and they went on a 5-0 run behind kills from Merkens and Johnson, and three Pirate errors. 
Thief River Falls led 18-13 when the teams exchanged points and the Prowlers led 22-17.  The Prowler’s Kramer had a nice tip shot for a kill and a 23-17 lead, followed by a Peterson tip kill and they were serving for match point.  Crookston wasn’t able to handle a Prowler attack and Thief River Falls picked up the 3-0 sweep with a 25-17 victory.

Crookston wraps up their season with a final record of 2-22. They will say goodbye to the following Seniors. Anna Funk, Hannah Brouse, Julia Lallier, Emilee Tate, Lorelai Hebert, Grace Fischer, Libby Salentine, Brianna Wardner, and Destiny Goulet-Ramirez.
Thief River Falls improves to 12-15 and will now play in the Section 8AA Quarterfinals on Friday night.

FOR PIRATES COACH KATIE ENGELSTAD’S COMMENTS, CLICK BELOW

 

	1	2	3
Crookston	10	10	17
TRF	25	25	25