Pioneers Improve to 2-0 At Home

Pioneers Improve to 2-0 At Home- Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 9/6/22

The Lady Pioneers hosted the Lady Magicians of LeMoyne-Owen College tonight in their second contest on home turf. CRC was looking to build off a big win over Champion Christian College last Tuesday in their home opener.  

The visiting Magicians came seeking their first win of the season (0-4). The Magicians led strongly with an early and aggressive lead jumping ahead of the Pioneers 7-4 in the first set.  Before LeMoyne-Owen could run away with the set, CRC sophomore Paige Glenn would have a big block to take the lead, 10-9, changing the momentum of the game. From then on, it would be back and forth until the score was tied 18-18. Lemoyne-Owen would go on a run and CRC would not have an answer. The Magicians would continue their run taking set one 25-18.

Things started off in set two on the right note with junior Brooklynn Passmore on an opening kill and then following up with an ace taking a 2-0 lead. Again, LeMoyne-Owen would battle back until the Pioneers would lace together several kills from the dynamic duo of junior Emi Elms and junior Hannah Halverson. These two would link together 7 kills with the assistance of sophomore Jadyn Hesse, creating a 14-10 lead (Hesse would end the match with 38 of the teams 41 assists). This lead would shrink as LeMoyne-Owen would go on a 6-0 run taking the lead, 16-14, but would be answered again by Passmore with another ace, cutting the gap to 17-20. LeMoyne would call a timeout, but freshman Holly Berry would put the final touches on the set, winning it for the Pioneers 25-21.

Set three would test the endurance of the Pioneers. After several long volleys and outstanding digs by juniors Heather Conaway and Halverson (Conaway and Halverson would end with season high digs at 19 & 16), CRC would still trail the Magicians until they were able to tie the game, 13-13, on back-to-back points by Hesse. It would remain neck and neck until CRC would go on a 6-0 run of their own, leading LeMoyne-Owen 16-22. LeMoyne-Owen would not go down easily and would claw their way back until a kill by Elms would take the set for the Pioneers, 25-20.

Now leading two sets to one, the Pioneers looked to finish the Magicians in set four, sealing their second win of the season. The Pioneers would get off to a slow start thanks to a strong Magician defense, but would eventually go on an 8-1 rally, forcing a timeout by LeMoyne-Owen, trailing 12-5. Anything that the Magicians tried, freshman Kinley Matlock seemed to have an answer for. Halverson took the momentum back for CRC, adding to her season-high 11 kills, and sophomore Paige Glenn would finish the Magicians with her 10th kill, securing the win for the Pioneers, defeating the visiting Magicians 25-22 in set four.

"We got off to a slow start, but I'm proud of the way we finished strong. We have some tough games coming up this week and next so we have to focus on a strong start and remain consistent throughout the match to avoid the constant game of catch-up. As always there were areas where we played well and some areas of improvement so we will take both and move into our next match on Thursday."- Head Coach Carissa Winn

CRC defeats LeMoyne-Owen 3-1, improving to 2-2 on the season. They will travel to CBC to take on the Mustangs on Thursday.

Halverson led the Pioneers in kills (11), followed by Glenn (10), and Elms (7). Hesse would end the night with (38) assists. Conaway would lead the team in digs with (19), followed by Halverson (16), Matlock, and Berry with (13) each.