Tiger volleyball upset by Prior Lake in five games

An upset? Depends on who you ask. Either way, a youthful Prior Lake got the critical points in a 3-2 Missota Conference win Thursday on the Lakers court.

Trailing 9-6 in game five, Prior Lake scored six straight points including the final two on back-to-back kills from Sami Kemper and the team's lone senior Brittni Wangrin. Hutchinson got within a point at 12-11, but two Wangrin kills and a Tiger hit out of bounds sealed the match at 15-11.

The scores of the four other games were: 21-25, 25-18, 25-21 and 13-25.

Hutchinson won game one led by the play of junior Mackenzie Piechowski, who had two ace blocks and two service aces as the Tigers pulled away from 13-9 to 18-10.

In game two, Prior Lake took an early lead at 10-5 and never relinquished it, leading by as many as nine at 19-10. Wangrin was domiant at times hitting and blocking.

The momentum carried into game three for the Lakers as Hutchinson trailed 7-0 on three straight blocks and two kills from Lakers junior Emily Holte.

Down 10-4, Tigers junior setter Katie Maher entered the match and the move paid divendents right away as the team pulled within a point on two Maher aces and two set assists. Hutchinson eventually took the lead at 15-14, but couldn't pull away as the two teams traded points to 20.

Prior Lake won five of the last six points for the game three win.

Hutchinson senior Laura Carlson dominated in game four as the Tigers played its best game of the match, winning 25-13.

The Tigers (13-4) play Rosemount and Andover in pool play of the Burnsville Invitational Friday beginning at 5 p.m.

Eric Kraushar is the sports editor at the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sports@hutchinsonleader.com.