Coon Rapids closes out regular season with four-set win at Park Center

Coon Rapids started and finished strong but had a roller coaster ride in the middle before settling for a 25-18, 23-25, 25-16, 25-23 win at Park Center.

The opening set saw the Cardinals hit a solid .207 with 12 kills along with six service aces, Paige Jones registered 11 assists and a .440 setting percentage and the visitors led from start to finish en route to the seven-point win.

The second set saw errors in the service game, four receiving errors and four service errors, prove to be the difference in a two-point loss. The teams were tied on nine occassions and the lead changed hands three times before the Pirates got the final two points to close out the set on attack errors by Coon Rapids.

A six-point run, which snapped a 3-3 tie, seemed to put Park Center in front by a comfortable margin but the Cardinals countered with a 9-2 run to take a 12-11 lead. The Pirates responded with a four-point run and would not trail the remainder of the set.

After winning the second set, the hosts took a 5-3 lead in the third set before an 8-1 run by the Cardinals, followed shortly by a 5-0 run, gave the visitors an 18-10 lead and Ashley Engen would tally four kills in their final five points to give Coon Rapids a 2-1 lead.

Engen didn't slow down in the final set, adding seven kills in 13 attempts, and the Cardinals were perfect on 25 serves, putting pressure on the Pirates' passing game as Coon Rapids won its 13th games of the season, the most by a Cardinal team since a 24-win season in 2004.

Engen's 15-kill performance led an offense which featured five players with six or more kills. Olivia Jung and Megan Hayes each had seven kills and Courtney Pasiowitz and Lindsey Bratland while Jones tallied 38 assists.

Defensively, Emily Tronson had 17 kills and Aneisha DeNio added 10 while Hannah Fitzer had a team-high three blocks.

The Cardinals are idle for eight days before opening Section 5AAA playoff action with a first-round match at Spring Lake Park. The teams are slated to meet Wed., Oct. 27, at 7 p.m.