Royals Fall in Final Home Game

Chris Harris, Devils Lake Journal Sports, October 24th, 2019

In sports, you have to be all in or your opponent will take advantage of the cracks.

Lake Region State College volleyball had moments of greatness in its match against Mon-Dak top-seed Bismarck State College on Wednesday, Oct. 23rd. But those moments were superseded by not having the entire rotation on the same accord.

"I just didn't feel like all six players on the court were going hard," said Royals head coach Brigitte Greywater. "The sophomores went hard, they left it out there, they got after it, they wanted it but I don't know if we had all six players out there.

Greywater continued, "I'm not saying that they didn't want it. I'm saying that maybe some of the freshmen played a little nervous; a little scared."

The seven sophomores, playing their final home match in a Royals uniform, pushed the Mystics to a fourth set but were too overwhelmed as Bismarck State College beat Lake Region 3-1. It was the final regular season match for the Mystics, who ended the season winning their final nine.

Jexley Porrata, who was named the Mon-Dak Player of the Week Wednesday, had 14 kills and four aces, including in a stretch during the first set when she accounted for three straight Lake Region State points that gave the Royals a 5-3 lead. Porrata scored three of the Royals first five points. The Royals (12-19, 4-7 MonDak) led by as many as three but the Mystics regained the lead and after a consecutive kills by Emma Marion and Becca Nitsch, went up three at 10-7. The Mystics won the first set 25-18.

The Mystics (25-7, 11-1) won the second set 25-9.

The Royals took control of the third set, taking an 11-6 lead after a Jadaeya Morrell kill. The Mystics powered back into the set, tying it at 16 after a Mardi Scutchings attack error. The Mystics took the lead at 18-17, increased it to four at 21-17 but the Royals tied the set at 22 and took the lead on the next serve behind a Jakenda Short ace. A Porrata kill ended the set and giving the Royals the 25-22 win.

The Mystics led the fourth set from start to finish to close the match with the 25-18 win. Nitsch finished with 15 kills and 13 digs for Bismarck State College.

Scutchings finished with seven kills and two blocks, Rachel Hill in her final match at the Sports Center finished with 25 assists and Fabianne Besosa finished her home career with 18 digs for the match.

The Royals, who had thought to have clinched a region playoff berth, now will be faced with a potential three-way tie after Dawson Community upset Williston State College on Tuesday. Williston will play Mon-Dak conference bottom feeder Dakota College at Bottineau on Monday, Oct. 28. Dawson will face Miles with the Royals playing NJCAA No. 15 North Dakota State College of Science. Both of those matches are on Sunday, Oct. 27.

"We can play with anybody and you have to decide that at the beginning of a match. … This conference is tough, this conference is competitive you can not ask for a more competitive conference and that's wonderful for the state of North Dakota," Greywater said.