Notables
-The Eagles outnumbered the Saints 63-45 in kills
-The Eagles improve to 11-6 against the Saints in the postseason
ST. PAUL, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica volleyball team battled the University of Northwestern (Minn.), but eventually fell in four sets to end the Saints' postseason run in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament semifinals Wednesday night.
How it Happened
The Saints opened up the night with power behind their offense, going on an early 8-1 run with kills from across the line. This run gave the Saints a 10-5 lead over Northwestern (23-8). St. Scholastica would keep its lead until the end of the set when the Eagles snuck up from behind and took over the lead. Down 26-25,
Sofia Rajala (Deer River, Minn./Greenway HS) commanded the court and produced four kills in the final five points to give the Saints the 28-26 set one win.
Set two commenced with a 4-1 run for the Eagles, but the Saints quickly responded with three unanswered points of their own to tie the set 4-4. The teams would swap nearly every two points until mid-set when the Eagles went on a 5-2 run. St. Scholastica stayed within close realms, but Northwestern pulled away a few points at a time and eventually earned the 25-19 victory in the second set.
The Eagles immediately controlled set three with a 5-0 start. The Saints were able to scatter kills throughout the set, but they could not overcome the deficit. The Eagles took the third set 25-11.
The fourth set started much like the third as the Eagles took a 5-1 lead. Northwestern's offense proved too much for the Saints tough defense and they were rewarded with a 25-9 win to take the match.
Top Performers
Brooke Schermann (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) posted a team-high 12 kills, while Rajala was close behind with 11 and
Emily Bounds (Hill City, Minn./Hill City HS) with 10.
Espi Austvold (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer HS) tallied 20 assists on the night and
Taylor Thompson (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS) produced 23 digs.
End of Season
The Saints season ends with a 12-18 overall record. The squad will say goodbye to two seniors:
Emily Bounds (Hill City, Minn./Hill City HS) and
Sofia Rajala (Deer River, Minn./Greenway HS). Both had career years for the Saints this season.
For future information on the St. Scholastica volleyball team, keep checking csssaints.com.
