Ronan volleyball notches four-set win over Polson
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
RONAN – The Ronan Maidens volleyball team scored a season home opening 23-25, 27-25, 25-20 ,27-25 win over cross-county and Class A rival Polson Lady Pirates on Saturday afternoon.
In the first set, The Lady Pirates came out firing and quickly put themselves up 8-13. Although the Maidens were able to battle back to get the score close at the end, the Lady Pirates managed to hold off the Maidens to take the game 23-25.
The Lady Pirates capitalized off the momentum from the first set victory and took a quick 2-6 lead over the Maidens. “You look already beat,” Ronan’s head coach Charla Lake told the squad during a time out. “The score is only 2-6 and there is a lot of game left to play so pick your heads up, play hard and do your job!” Lake’s time out speech ignited a Maiden’s scoring run, allowing Ronan to take a 9-7 second set lead. After the teams played to ties at 23, 24 and 25-all, Ronan took control late to close out the set 27-25.
Set three went back and forth the whole way, until the Maidens broke a 19-19 deadlock and took the set by winning six of the final seven points.
The Lady Pirates refused to back down in a fourth-set and tied it 12-all, after the Maidens started the set by taking a 12-7 lead. The two teams tied the game eight more times before the Maidens finally broke a 25-25 deadlock and closed out the set and match at 27-25.
“I thought the girls did a great job applying what we did in practice this week in the game,” Lake said. “During practice this week we focused on reducing our mistakes, being more aggressive and executing at the end. It seems to have paid off.”
Up next for the Maidens is a 4 p.m. home match against Columbia Falls on Thursday and Browning on Friday, while the Lady Pirates will head to Libby for a 1 p.m. match on Saturday. Both teams will battle again in Polson on Oct. 7.
Ronan def. Polson
23-25, 27-25, 25-20, 27-25
Polson: Kills 30 (Kaelyn Smith 16). Blocks 3. Digs 77 (Kyler Lundeen 37). Assists 23 (Jaycee Fryderlund 17). Aces 13 (Kyla Blixt 6).
Ronan: Kills 30 (Louetta Conko-Camel 11). Blocks 3 (Madline McCrea 1). Digs 102 (Madison Clairmont 21). Assists 28 (Tiana Ulutoa 24). Aces 8 (Dailee Delaurenti 2, Marissa Mock 2, Ulutoa 2).
