After leading late in one game and being up by seven points early in another, Littlefork-Big Falls’ volleyball team lost Wednesday night’s Section 7A semifinal match at Virginia in four games to Carlton, 17-25, 25-27, 25-21, 22-25.
“We had a few miscommunications and a few missed points, but I also thought they went out there and fought hard,” said Vikings head coach Sarah Bradley.
L-BF statistical leaders included: Brooke Millerbernd, 13 kills, 29 digs; Abby Thompson, eight kills, six blocks; Courtney Pfeifer, 22 digs, three ace serves; and Taylor Wendt, three aces.
The Bulldogs dominated game one leading from early on when L-BF faced fierce blocking opposition at the net.
The Vikings led for most of the second game and held a 23-20 lead before Carlton regrouped with a timeout.
The Bulldogs responded with four points in a row, which was followed by L-BF scoring two straight for its own game-point opportunity, before Carlton wrapped up the game with three straight points for the win.
“Our serve receive probably wasn’t where it should have been (Wednesday night),” Bradley said. “We’ve done better in the past, and when that’s not there, it makes it hard to get our offense going.”
The Bulldogs took an early 7-2 lead in game three when the Vikings used a timeout to regroup. L-BF turned the tide midway through the game and broke a 13-13 tie with five straight points when Carlton called timeout.
The Bulldogs then responded with three points in a row, but could get no closer as the Vikings went on to win by four.
L-BF led big early in game four when the Vikings pulled in front by as much as seven, 10-3. Then with L-BF in front by six at 15-9, Carlton went on an 11-0 scoring run, which was stopped by a service error, to take the lead.
The Bulldogs were within a point of winning the match at 24-18 when the Vikings scored four straight points, but then a carrying call ended the semifinal.
The Vikings ended the season at 20-4-1, while the Bulldogs advanced to today’s Section 7A championship game in Duluth to face North Woods, which won its semifinal match Wednesday in four games against Northeast Range.
L-BF next season will be losing two seniors to graduation, Pfeifer and Chelsey Ziemba.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls this year,” Bradley said. “I had great leadership, and I had a great work ethic on the team. That’s what came together, and that’s why we had as successful of a season as we did.”
