Bucs fall to St. Peter, USC lose to St. Clair
It was another close one.
The Blue Earth Area volleyball team took on the St. Peter Saints in the first round of the Section playoffs.
And, the Buccaneers fought hard to try to advance to the next round. However, it was the Saints who came out on top.
The opposing team did not win by much though, after the two schools had to play five games to determine the winner, with St. Peter advancing with a 3-2 match score.
But, it was the maroon and gold who kicked things off during this match.
The teams were evenly scoring for most of the first game. They played back and forth for most of the game until St. Peter maxed out at 19 points. BEA?took advantage and pulled ahead by six more points, claiming the first game 25-19.
The Saints wanted to make a comeback after the first game and that is what they did in the second game.
This time the Bucs only made it to 16 points while the Saints powered ahead by nine points and won 25-16.
Now that both teams were warmed up, the momentum was coming from both sides of the court.
The scoring went back and forth and the third game could have landed in anyone’s favor.
St. Peter was sitting at 23 points and they could have easily won the game. But, the Bucs proved them wrong and scored the two additional points needed to claim the win, 25-23.
Now BEA?was in the lead with two games in their favor and St. Peter with just one. If the Bucs won the fourth game they would also win the match.
Again both the Saints and the Bucs scored back and forth throughout the game until the maroon and gold stalled out at 22 points. The Saints took three more points and tied the match, 2-2.
The fifth game would determine the winner of the match.
Playing up to 15 points, it was the Saints who found enough momentum left to come out on top. St. Peter won the fifth game, 15-8 and the match, 3-2.
Lindsey Norman was a force to be reckoned with at the net. She led the team in kills and ace blocks. She had 14 kills, three ace blocks and 13 digs.
Lindsey Jacobs was hot at the service line. She was 21 for 22 serving, accounting for 13 points and two ace points.
Sofie Blair also had a good game. She tallied 16 digs and six kills. Blair was also 17 for 18 serving, scoring nine points.
Samantha Barslou had 14 digs and eight kills. She also served 16 for 17 scoring eight points.
Alissa Norman led the team in set assists, tallying a total of 31. She also had 15 digs.
Delaney Zierke had an impressive 16 digs.
Samantha Ripley had two ace blocks and Maddi Oelke had one ace block.
The loss for the Bucs ends their season.
The Saints will now advance to the next round of the brackets to take on the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers on Nov. 2.
United South Central has also been playing in post season play. In fact, they advanced in the first round of the Section 2A bracket.
They faced Lake Crystal-Welcome-Memorial in the first round on Oct. 27 in Lake Crystal. They won the match 3-0 (25-18, 25-21,25-20).
They played the second round on Oct. 29 in St. Clair and played against St. Clair. That match ended in four games in St. Clair’s favor, knocking USC?out of the post season play as well.
USC ended their season with a record of eight wins and 17 losses.