21 serve receptions, 14 digs, 5 kills
(photo by Jim Lindquist)
After nail-biting victories (25-22 and 25-21) in the first two games, the Tigers seemed on the brink of opening their Missota Conference season with a win Thursday, Sept. 8, at Red Wing.
But the Wingers managed to turn the tide with a solid 25-18 decision in game three on the way to a come-from-behind 3-2 win. Red Wing captured the final two games 25-12 and 16-14.
"We passed very well and played well at the net in games one and two," coach Mike Woody said. "We became complacent in games three and four. We made lots of errors and gave away a lot of points.
"We actually played really well in game five before freezing up. We have struggled in both of our wins and last night’s loss to score that last point."
Strong finishes propelled the locals to their early wins. Farmington closed out the opener with a 3-0 run and tallied the last five points in game two.
Red Wing won the next two games handily but the visitors still put themselves in position to take home the win by building a 14-9 lead in the abbreviated fifth and deciding game. That's when the Wingers rained on the Tiger victory party with seven unanswered points to claim the victory.
Bekah Lippert recorded a team-high eight kills and a trio of service aces for the Tigers and also had a big night at the net with 13 blocks. Setter Mia Johnston finished with 13 assists.
Defensively, Adrienne Jolicoeur came up with 18 digs while teammates Emily Nelson and Rachel Eckert each totaled 14. Laura Steege led in serve receptions with 21, one more than Jolicoeur and Nelson. Eckert added 14 and Emma Fahning 11.
The win upped Red Wing's season record to 5-3 and dropped the Tigers to 2-2 heading into this Saturday's appearance at the talent-filled Coon Rapids Invitational. Farmington hosts non-conference foe Hastings Monday, Sept. 12, before opening its home league season the following night against Chanhassen.
