Prep volleyball: Riders come from behind to beat Knights

On Sept. 3, the Grand Forks Red River volleyball team used a dominating serving performance and a balanced lineup to pick apart Grand Forks Central in a swift sweep.

There was nothing quick and easy about the rematch Tuesday night.

Yet in the end, Red River's athleticism and its timely matchup change sparked a 19-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-12, 15-11 come-from-behind win over the Knights in the Central gymnasium.

"Central played very well," Red River coach Carolyn Olson said. "They did a terrific job on defense, and then offensively they swung hard and were aggressive."

After the Knights grabbed a 2-1 lead after Game 3, Red River changed its lineup.

"We did some flip-flopping and went back to a lineup we were more familiar with," Olson said. "It's probably a little late in the season to be playing with our lineups, but based on how we've been playing, we needed to."

The changes made a difference quickly. Red River jumped out to a 10-3 lead in Game 4 and coasted to a 25-12 victory.

"Annika Strand had a good serving run to set the tone for that game," Olson said. "That helped us build some confidence."

In the decisive fifth game, the Riders grabbed a quick 3-0 edge that they never relented, finishing with a 15-11 victory.

"It hurt us when they changed their lineup," Central coach Missy Miedema said. "It was a matchup from the beginning of the night we wanted."

Central also felt it let an opportunity slip away in Game 2.

The Knights led 22-21 and had the game even at 23 before Katie Ronkowski rattled off a pair of kills to give Red River the second game.

"If we get that second game, maybe this ends differently," Miedema said. "I would love to have that second game back."

Miedema, though, hopes the Knights can use the tight rivalry matchup as a building block for the remainder of the season.

"This is a huge confidence booster," Miedema said. "The girls always measure themselves against Red River. This is our third straight match that has gone to five games (Devils Lake, Valley City, Red River). They know they can be competitive."

Central was led by the offense of Caitlin Farroh and Michaela Johnson, who each finished with seven kills.

Taylor Hammer chipped in with six solo blocks and two kills for the Knights at the net.

The Knights dropped to 4-15. Red River, meanwhile, improved to 11-5.

The Riders were led by Hadley Steffen's 14 kills, followed by Emily Asche with 12 and Katie Ronkowski with 10. Mandy Christian handed out 35 assists.

"I was proud of the girls for forging through and coming out with the win," Olson said.

GF Red River 3, GF Central 2

Key play: Katie Ronkowski's back-to-back kills to finish off Game 2 at 25-23.

Key player: Hadley Steffen, match-high 14 kills.