Pierce defeats Crofton 3-1 to earn 4th straight Mid-States Conference Championship
It's a feat that hasn't been done in over 20 years, but the Bluejays capitalize on the opportunity and make history with a 3-1 win over Crofton (32-30, 20-25, 25-13, 25-17).
NORFOLK - Four straight Mid-States titles for Pierce!
It's a feat that hasn't been done in over 20 years, but the Bluejays capitalize on the opportunity and make history with a 3-1 win over Crofton (32-30, 20-25, 25-13, 25-17).
As the #2 seed in the tournament, the Bluejays defeated Boone O'Neill in the opener (3-1), then continued the momentum with a tough victory against Battle Creek (3-1).
#4 seeded Crofton took GACC to 5-sets and rallied back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Norfolk Catholic in 5-sets the following night to advance to the championship. It marked the first time that Crofton has played in the Mid-States title game since 2016.
There was no separation between the Bluejays and the Warriors in the first set, with any swing in momentum immediately switching sides.
The opening set flew past 25 points, with both Pierce and Crofton having opportunities at set point. The Bluejays managed to jump ahead and win a tough first set 32-30, thanks to double-digit kills by Nora Herian in set one.
Crofton took advantage of a few Pierce errors in the second set, while also finding some offense through Jaisie Janssen and Lexi Wiebelhaus. The Warriors took set two 25-20.
Even at 1-1, the Bluejays started firing away at the corners, with Herian continuing her dominance and Claudia Riggert being a nice supplement to the attack. Pierce took set three 25-13.
In the fourth set, Pierce and Crofton were even through 10 points, but the Bluejays started to string together a few runs and outlasted the scrappy Warrior team for a 25-17 win, clinching the fourth-straight Mid-States Conference Tournament Championship.
Nora Herian exploded for 30 kills in the 3-1 win for Pierce. Claudia Riggert had her own tremendous day, tallying 15 kills with 4 blocks, while Abbie Cone added 8 kills.
Crofton had an all-around attack led by Jaisie Janssen with 11 kills and 3 blocks, while Lexi Wienelhaus tacked on 9 kills and Sami Allen finished with 8.