Northern Lights: The Comeback Queens in the 14 Open Championship
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Be sure to follow @lshotvb on Instagram and Twitter for all things volleyball! Use code LSHOTVBUSAV and get $10 off your registration for Prep Dig’s USAV Showcases, Session 1 & Session 2! – After the first match on Championship day here in Florida, it was looking like…
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Use code LSHOTVBUSAV and get $10 off your registration for Prep Dig’s USAV Showcases, Session 1 & Session 2!
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After the first match on Championship day here in Florida, it was looking like Northern Lights would be bowing out of the tournament with a third place finish. Boy were we wrong!
It was looking even more likely after the first set of the semifinal. Top Select not only man-handled Lights to a tune of 16-25, but they were then up in the second. It was at a timeout called at 12-20 in the second that Northern Lights turned on their engines and hopped in the drivers’ seat.
It was the combination of two humungous service runs. One by both L Clara Christ Clara Christ 5'7" | DS/L Chaska | 2027 State MN and one by S Kaelyn Bjorklund. Lights quickly found themselves within one after a 10-3 scoring run.
It wasn’t just the serving that got Northern Lights in charge, but also the defensive prowess of Christ. Never say die, no ball was off limits for this up-and-coming libero. Alongside her, OH Elleora Utecht Elleora Utecht 5'9" | OH Lakeville South | 2027 State MN came up with clutch kills play after play. It was incredible. Lights would take this one to a tune of 26-24.
Now, it was all fun and games in the second, but looked like the party was short-lived. Before you knew it, Top Select shot out to a lead seemingly too big to overcome, 4-10 in the third game to 15. But the name of the game in this one was again, intense service pressure and clutch net play. OH Ellie Osowski Ellie Osowski 5'11" | OH Wayzata | 2027 State MN stepped behind the line at 5-10 and didn’t come off until 11-10. In that run, the net was owned by MB Natalya Singer Natalya Singer 5'11" | MB Lakeville North | 2027 State MN . Lights would eventually take the match 2-1, 16-14 in the third.
Moving onto the finals at ESPN Wide World of Sports Arena, this was looking to be a very similar story to the one in the semis. The massive and hugely physical A5 14 Helen team cruised to a first set victory with a score of 20-25. Lights trailed by as much as 10 points in this set, trailing 13-23, before going on a 7-2 run. This run set the momentum up for the rest of the match where they would ultimately take it, 2-1!
The third set looked like A5 had it all under control for the first half. A primarily side out game, A5 remained one point ahead until the 10 point mark. Up 10-11, Northern Lights, the Comeback Queens turned the engines on a high and crawled to the finish line. Escaping A5 15-13 and securing the AAU 14 Open National Championship!
Congratulations Northern Lights on an a amazing run!
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