Pioneers Serve Up Revenge as Brotman Earns First Home Win

Pioneers Serve Up Revenge as Brotman Earns First Home Win-Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 9/30/24

Earlier this evening, the Lady Pioneers hosted the Lady Owls of Mississippi University for Women, who they lost to in their season opener back on 8/30/24 in four sets. With a few more games and some season experience under CRC's belt, the Lady Pioneers were able to claim revenge on MUW with the Ridge flipping the script defeating the Owls in four sets tonight; giving Head Coach Carol Brotman the first home win of her career. The Lady Pioneers now sit 5-5 on the year. Sets went as follows: 25-21 CRC, 21-25 MUW, 25-15 CRC, and 25-20 CRC. 

Paragould, Ark.- The Lady Pioneers belted out double-digit kills in three of four sets tonight with the first two sets seeing CRC's highest offensive performance with back-to-back sets of 12 kill efforts. 

The opening set wouldn't see CRC's offense until late as CRC trailed MUW for almost the entire frame, but a better late-than-never run emerged from Crowley's Ridge with the Pioneers going on a 5-1 run to reclaim the lead after a Pioneer timeout was called with CRC trailing, 17-13. With the game squared away at 18s, Sophomore Brooklyn Cross would deliver big for the Pioneers with three critical kills that helped the Pioneers claw out the first set, 25-21. 

The Lady Owls responded in set two with a flip-flop attack as CRC led for the majority of the set until MUW mustered their 5-1 run with the score tied 18-18 again. The big push from MUW proved to have the same effect on CRC as the Pioneers had on the visiting team just one frame before with Crowley's Ridge falling short by a score of, 21-25. 

In the third set, the Lady Pioneers fought tooth and nail with the Lady Owls as each team stretched point for point. Mallory Hollis and Alyssa Dirden played a pivotal role in this set with the two extending volleys with spectacular digs, encouraging the Pioneers to rally off their biggest set win of the matchup. The turning point in the matchup is credited to several players, but senior Hannah Halverson claimed the crown due to the fact the Paragould native coaxed a 6-0 run from her team with her behind the service line. Halverson capped the impactful stretch with back-to-back service aces lifting CRC to a demanding double-digit point lead, a gap the Lady Pioneers maintained with confidence for the rest of the night. 

In the final set, CRC used the momentum from a big set three win to officially take the lead for the last time at the 8-7 point mark thanks to a kill from Senior Brooklynn Passmore. With the lead in their favor, the Lady Pioneers never surrendered it for the remainder of the matchup, though a run from the Lady Owls would drag out the contest, CRC would finally claim the set and win with Jillian Glasgow ending the evening with a service ace. 

Hannah Halverson led the offense with a double-double performance of 12 kills and 20 digs. Brooklyn Cross hammered out 10 kills and added 4 blocks in the win. Jadyn Hesse led the team in assists with 18; Jillian Glasgow chased with 15. Mallory Hollis added 12 digs while Alexis Weirich matched Cross' effort with 4 blocks herself. 

Up Next: CRC will hit the court in Walnut Ridge on October 3rd for a conference matchup against Williams Baptist University at 6:00 PM. #GOPIONEERS