Pioneers Fall In 5 Set Thriller

Pioneers Fall In 5 Set Thriller-Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 10/11/22

The Lady Pioneers hosted highway rival Williams Baptist University and their Lady Eagles tonight in the Carter Activity Center.  This would be the second matchup between these two teams as they met earlier this year on September 10th in a Tri Match hosted by the Eagles in Walnut Ridge, Ark. During the first matchup, WBU swept the Pioneers in three consecutive sets. Tonight things would be a different story as CRC would put up a fight taking the match all the way to  the fifth set for the first time this year. CRC would ultimately succumb to the Eagles attack, falling 3 sets to 2. Sets went as follows: 25-21 CRC, 29-31 WBU, 19-25 WBU, 25-23 CRC, 13-15 WBU. 

Set one, the Lady Pioneers would find themselves trailing the Eagles 9-13 before Head Coach Carissa Winn would call a timeout. When play resumed CRC would rally and go on a 5-1 run making things even at 14-14. WBU would try to answer but CRC rallied a second run. This one would be  6-0 ending it with a kill from Jr. Brooklynn Passmore. From that point Jr. Emi Elms would steal the show. Being a force to be reckoned with at the net, offensively and defensively, Elms would produce 3 blocks and gather 5 kills in the set. One of which would end the set with the green and black on top 25-21.

Set two, the Lady Pioneers would keep the energy as sophomores Alexis Weirich and Paige Glenn would combo a big block taking a 2-0 lead. This lead wouldn't last long as no team could pull away. The set would be a head turner as it would be tied on 15 different occasions. The CRC defense would keep the Pioneers alive on several occasions with digs from Fr. Kinley Matlock and Jr. Hannah Halverson. The set would enter extra frames until WBU found the hardwood on a service ace and took the set 31-29.

Set three, both teams looked to grab the advantage. After dropping set two, CRC needed to boost morale and So. Paige Glenn would provide it. The sophomore landed two kills back to back with the assistance of So. Jayden Hesse to take a 4-1 lead over the Eagles. Before CRC could get comfortable,  Williams Baptist tied the set 10-10 with a kill. As both teams would fight for control, it would be WBU who would find it first. The Eagles took command late in the set producing a 6-1 run taking a 21-15 lead. CRC would rally a kill from Jr. Hannah Halverson and back to back service aces from So. Jadyn Hesse but it wouldn't be enough. WBU takes the set 25-19.

Set four, now trailing to the Eagles once again, So. Paige Glenn kicked off the set with a solo block putting CRC behind the service line. The Pioneers then rallied two back to back kills with Glenn taking credit for one and So. Alexis Weirich for the other. Even with this great start the Eagles would tie the set  9 times before CRC would start their run. Going on a 5-2 run with the help of a service ace from Fr. Holly Berry the Pioneers pulled ahead 21-18. The Eagles would scare Pioneer fans as they would streak a 5-0 run to take the lead 23-21 over the Pioneers. CRC head coach Carissa Winn would call a timeout and when play resumed the Pioneer play call worked and Crowley's Ridge won four consecutive points to take the set 25-23.

For the first time this season the Pioneers would force a fifth set. WBU jumped ahead quickly  with two kills looking to put away the Pioneers once and for all, but like the rest of the match the lead wouldn't last long. CRC would tie the game, this time it  would come from So. Alexis Weirich with a kill  and Jr. Brooklynn Passmore with a service ace. Midway CRC would seem to have the momentum with a 9-6  lead but WBU would turn the tide. The Eagles rallied a 7-1 run to retake the lead with a score of 14-11. So. Alexis Weirich and Jr. Brooklynn Passmore once again would produce a kill and then a service ace giving hope to the Pioneers as they now trailed 13-14. The eagles would squash all hope with a kill to take the set and match, 15-13. The Eagles would defeat CRC 3 sets to 2. 

Leaders: 

Jr. Hannah Halverson led in kills (12) followed by So. Paige Glenn (11) Jr. Emi Elms (10). So. Jadyn Hesse led in assists with (45) of the team's 49. Fr. Kinley Matlock led in digs (27) Followed by Jr. Hannah Halverson (17). Jr. Emi Elms Led in blocks (6). Jr. Brooklyn Passmore led in service aces (4)

Jr. Halverson and So. Hesse ended the match with a double double. 

Up Next: 

The Pioneers look to bounce back against the Mustangs of CBC Thursday, October 13 at 6:00pm.