STORY BY KYLE HEWITT
The Carrington girls’ volleyball team came up just a bit short in the title match falling 2-1 to top seeded South Prairie-Max (SPM). The Cardinals would go 5-1 overall on the day against a very solid field of 12 class A opponents. The Cards would open pool play (pool C) defeating Lisbon 25-16 and 25-14. The Cards would defeat Shiloh Christian 25-14 and 25-15 next before dropping Des Lacs-Burlington 25-13 and 25-13. The Cards would get the number 2 overall seed behind SPM due to points allowed criteria. The Cards allowed 85 total points, and SPM (pool A) allowed just 77 points to earn the top seed. Central Cass (CC), who won pool B, allowed 93 total points to get the number 3 seed. Turtle Mountain Community earned the number 4 seed competing out of pool A.
The Cards would be very balanced throughout the tournament and in the 3 pool play victories were paced by Calleigh Hewitt with 20 overall kills, followed closely by Harper Kollman and Maara Kutz with 17 kills each. Marah Johnson would add 15 kills and Sophie Spitzer would add 9 kills. Anniston Hoornaert from the setter position would add 5 kills and add 71 assists. Journey Peltier would lead the Cards with 6 service aces, Hewitt and Kollman would add 4 aces, and Lauren Hendrickson and Hoornaert would add 3 aces.
Quarterfinal: Cardinals 2 Shiloh Christian Skyhawks 0
The Cards would get a bye in the opening round of the tournament playoffs (top 4 seeds received byes). Starting in the quarterfinals the Shiloh Christian Skyhawks would be the first opponent. The Cards defeated the Skyhawks in pool play earlier and got off to a slow start before rallying late to defeat Shiloh 25-18 in the first set. Shiloh had a 5-point advantage at 16-11 before the Cards closed out set 1 with a 14-2 run. Set 2 was tied at 5-5 early, but then Carrington erupted, a 15-0 run put this set and match away. Journey Peltier had the hot service hand connecting on 15 straight serves, including a pair of aces (3 in the match) that helped push the Cards into the semifinals. Johnson would lead the way with 10 kills in this match, followed by Hewitt with 5, Kollman 4, and Kutz 3. Kollman added 2 service aces and Hendrickson 1. Hoornaert would add 18 assists to pace the Cards.
Semifinal: Cardinals 2 Central Cass Squirrels 1
Central Cass would take the first in extra points 27-26 (27 was the cap for points). In a back-and-forth affair, Central Cass (CC) would the important 27th point first and win a tight battle. The Cards would battle back with a 25-16 victory in set 2 and went on to win the match with a 15-8 third set win. Kollman would lead the way with 9 kills, Hewitt 8, Johnson 7, Kutz 5, and Spitzer 2. Kutz and Johnson would both add 2 stuff blocks each as well. Hoornaert added 24 more assists. The Squirrels were paced by Aspyn Prien with a match high 12 kills and 3 stuff blocks, Isabelle Thompson would add 11 kills.
Championship: South Prairie-Max Royals 2 Carrington 1
A pair of teams that both have plenty of offensive weapons and spread it around evenly came down to a third set with the Royals prevailing with a 15-11 win. The Royals won the opening set 25-18 and the Cards would get the second set 25-23. Carrington would be paced by Kollman with 10 kills, 7 each for Kutz and Johnson, Hewitt 6, and Spitzer 3. The Cards did not record a stuff block in the match as compared to the Royals 9. Skotti Beck paced the Royals with a match high 11 kills and 3 stuff blocks. Keira Francis would add 8 kills, Hattie Heer 7 kills, 2 stuff blocks, Abby Mikkelson 6 kills, and Kinley Schilla added 3 stuff blocks. Francis also added a match high 3 service aces. The Cardinals overall record improved to 24-4 on the season and the Royals finished the day a perfect 6-0 and now stand at 22-1 overall.
Carrington are back in action at home on Tuesday, facing #1 Thompson with coverage on KDAK The Cardinal and KDAK The Cardinal on YouTube beginning at around 6:45pm.