By Kerri Rempp
Sioux County Schools PIO
The Ram Warriors are headed to Lincoln for the State Volleyball Tournament after defeating Paxton 3-1 in the district finals.
Crawford-Sioux County will enter the tournament with a 24-8 record and as the number five seed in D2. They will take on number four Wynot (21-10) in the first round Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. Mountain Time. The winner of the match will face the winner of the St. Mary’s vs Sandhills-Thedford game in the semi-finals.
The Ram Warriors’ Panhandle Conference colleagues Hay Springs also secured a spot in the State Tournament with a win over Dorchester in the district finals. The number three Hawks (23-7) will play number six Bancroft-Rosalie (20-12) at the same time.
Both games will be at the Pinnacle Bank Arena. Information on parking and tickets can be found at https://nsaahome.org/nsaa-volleyball-championships-central/.
Crawford-Sioux County started off strong in the district final match against Paxton Saturday, opening with a 9-2 lead in the first set. Early action included a setter dump by Kylee Osmotherly, two kills each by Peyton Osmotherly and Leah Holmgren and a block and a kill by Ada Norman. The Tigers clawed back to tie the score at 12. Norman put the Ram Warriors ahead with savvy net play and then teamed up with Peyton Osmotherly for a block to give the team a 14-12 lead. Paxton tied the score again at 14 and 15 and edged ahead 17-15.
Norman, Tallee Rudloff and Holmgren scored three consecutive kills for Crawford-Sioux County to swing the score 18-17 in their favor. The Tigers refused to yield, however, and went on an 8-1 run to take the first set 25-19.
Early action in the second set was tight as the teams traded points. Paxton gained an early 7-5 lead in spite of kills by Rudloff and Peyton Osmotherly. Rudloff and Holmgren terminated on three of four plays for Crawford-Sioux County to make in 10-7 in their favor, and the Ram Warriors never looked back. Peyton Osmotherly ended a long rally with a kill, and Rudloff went on to terminate twice more and added an ace serve. Holmgren also scored on an ace. Peyton Osmotherly added another five kills, including the one to end the set 25-14.
Crawford-Sioux County continued the momentum into the third to go up 2-1 with a 25-15 victory. A Norman block and two kills by Peyton Osmotherly gave the Ram Warriors a 4-1 advantage. While the Tigers closed to within one at 4-3, Crawford-Sioux County responded with two kills by Norman, one each by Rudloff and Sarai Munoz-Salazar and an ace by Natasha Randolph to extend their lead to 10-5. Paxton was never closer than two from that point on. The Ram Warriors closed out the set with two kills by Norman, a kill each by Rudloff and Holmgren and a block by Norman and Holmgren.
Paxton looked to force a fifth set with a strong start in the fourth, going up 4-1 with three ace serves, as a Rudloff kill was the only early Ram Warrior point. Peyton Osmotherly scored on a tip, and Norman added a block to keep Crawford-Sioux County alive and within two. Holmgren terminated twice to make it 7-8 Paxton before the Tigers edged away again. Holmgren added a third kill, Kylee Osmotherly scored on another setter dump and Rudloff landed an ace but the Ram Warriors still trailed 10-14. A 4-2 run by the Tigers made it 18-12 for Paxton when a kill by Munoz-Salazar sparked a Crawford-Sioux County comeback.
An improbable 13-1 run by the Ram Warriors surged them to a 25-19 set win and secured the trip to Lincoln. The final series included a Peyton Osmotherly ace, two kills by Norman, another by Munoz-Salazar and a block by Holmgren. Holmgren ended the set with a kill to give the Ram Warriors their 3-1 victory.
The district finals match-up was set up with a 1-1 showing in sub-districts earlier in the week. Crawford-Sioux County swept Morrill in the first round, 25-16, 25-11, 25-16. The Ram Warriors had 34 kills in the match, led by Holmgren’s 11. They also scored on eight ace serves, including three each by Rudloff and Kylee Osmotherly.
The win sent Crawford-Sioux County to the championship bracket against Hay Springs. The teams had already faced off four times earlier in the season, with the series tied 2-2.
The Hawks won the sub-district contest 3-0. While the Ram Warriors lost, each set was close at 26-28, 23-25, 22-25. Peyton Osmotherly had 14 kills on the night, while Holmgren added 11 of the teams total 44. The team had five aces as well. Despite the loss, the Ram Warriors regular season schedule was strong enough to give them the home court advantage against Paxton.
The Ram Warriors celebrate on the court after winning the district finals game over Paxton Saturday. Photo by Kerri Rempp
The Ram Warriors celebrate on the court after winning the district finals game over Paxton Saturday. Photo by Kerri Rempp
Crawford-Sioux County won the district finals contest Saturday and earned a spot in the State Volleyball Tournament in Lincoln. Photo by Kerri Rempp