Wolf Point Fights Off Poplar In League Match

In a volleyball match that went down to the wire, Wolf Point came away with a five-set victory in Poplar on Thursday, Oct. 3. The Wolves won the league match by a 25-22, 15-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-12, final.

In the fifth and deciding set, Poplar jumped out to a 6-0 lead on the serving of Rebecca Gorder and net play of Braelyn Nordwick. Down by a 6-1 margin, Wolf Point struck for the next seven points. Kills by Kashlyn Speak Thunder and Ma’Kenzie Jackson along with the serving of Maia Kent highlighted the streak.

After a tip by Gorder tied the set at 8-8, the Wolves moved out to a 12-8 lead with a kill by Jackson accounting for one of the points. Poplar fought back to 13-11, but another kill by Jackson gave Wolf Point a 14-11 lead.

Poplar’s Makenzie Crawford had a block to cut the gap to 14-12, but the Wolves then ended the match on a kill by Karmyn Plain Feather.

In the first set of the match, the Wolves gained a 20-19 lead on a block by Speak Thunder and a block by Lauren Rodenberg. A kill by Rodenberg increased the margin to 21-19.

Ahead by a 23-22 score, the Wolves tallied the final two points on aces by Keeley Blount-Henderson.

A block by Lilliana O’Neal and a kill by Nordwick helped the Indians earn a 17-11 advantage in the second set. Nordwick accounted for another kill and a backrow spike for a 20-13 lead. A kill by Crawford down the stretch led Poplar to a 25-15 win.

The Wolves were ahead by only a 13-11 margin in the third set, but a spike by Speak Thunder and an ace by Rodenberg increased the gap to 18-11. Poplar battled back on the net play of O’Neal and serving of Nordwick to pull to 20-17.

Wolf Point scored on a kill by Speak Thunder and block by Jackson for a 22-18 advantage, but the Indians responded with a kill by Crawford and an ace by O’Neal to cut the gap to 22-21.

Poplar then struck for four of the last five points including a set-ending kill by Crawford.

Wolf Point stayed alive with a victory in the fourth set. Down by an 18-17 margin, the Wolves moved ahead, 2119, on kills by Speak Thunder, Blount-Henderson and Rodenberg.

With the score at 24-21, the Wolves finished the fourth set on an ace by Blount-Henderson.

Leaders for Poplar included Nordwick with 16 kills and Gorder with 27 assists.

Angelina Escarcega finished with 18 digs. Crawford had six blocks. Brown serves five aces.