Pioneers Fall in Mississippi

Pioneers Fall in Mississippi-Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 10/19/22

Lady Pioneer Volleyball hit the road traveling to Holly Springs, MS to take on Rust College yesterday Tuesday, October 18th. This is their last game  before flying out to Florida for the CAC Classic hosted by Florida College this weekend where the Pioneers look to clinch a Conference Tournament berth. After defending their home court in a 3-1 set win over CBC last Thursday, October 13th, the Pioneers looked to extend their win streak having already defeated Rust at home in a 3 set sweep earlier this season. CRC would win set one but then drop three consecutive allowing Rust to win round two with a 1-3 set victory over CRC. Sets went as follows: 25-20 CRC, 19-25 Rust, 23-25 Rust, and 22-25 Rust. 

Set one, CRC would rally to retake control of the set with back to back kills from Juniors Emi Elms and Hannah Halverson cutting the score to 11-12 with Rust at the advanage. The very next point Sophomores Paige Glenn and Alexis Weirich stuffed the Bearcats at the net making things even at 12-12. Rust would retake the lead but the junior duo of Elms and Halverson would continue to produce kills for Pioneers allowing them to rally a come from behind win and take set one 25-20.

Set two, the Pioneers kept the attack going with kills from Jr. Hannah Halverson and So. Alexis Weirich early in the set. The Bearcats would not allow the attack of the Pioneers to overpower them as they would see themselves in a 10-10 set before linking together 4-0 run on the Pioneers defense. Coach Carissa Winn would call timeout and when play resumed CRC produced a 4-1 run to make the set 14-15, advantage Rust College. Again, the willpower of Rust would muster a second 4-0 run forcing a second timeout from CRC. This time when play resumed CRC would not produce an answer and would fall to Rust 19-25. 

Set three, CRC jumped ahead to a 3-0 lead with Jr. Brooklyn Passmore finding the hardwood with a service ace. When CRC seemed to get things going, Rust chalked up a 6-0 run retaking the lead from the Lady Pioneers. Before long CRC would be forced to take a timeout finding themselves trailing 8-15. When play resumed CRC would chip slowly back at the gap and would fight their way back to a tie set with a kill from Jr. Emi Elms to make it 19-19. Juniors Emi Elms and Brooklynn Passmore would produce kills back to back to retake the lead 22-20 forcing a Rust timeout. With the momentum on the side of the black and green the Bearcats would show heart and link a 5-1 run late in the set, winning it 25-23.

Set four, with the match win in sight the Bearcats kept the pedal to the metal and before long the Lady 'Neers would trail 11-21. Fr. Kinley Matlock would step behind the service line and would spark a CRC rally with three consecutive service aces. Jr. Emi Elms would slam a kill before Rust would finally have enough and call timeout. When play resumed the Pioneers would continue the rally with kills from juniors Hannah Halverson and Emi Elms. These kills brought the Pioneers back within one, 22-23 forcing a second Rust timeout. With all the momentum CRC could muster, Rust would still find a way to halt the rally and end the match. The Bearcats landed back to back kills taking set four 22-25.