Lady Vikings Get Served by Adirondack in Final Game

The Lady Vikings were blown out 0-3 against the Adirondack Timberwolves at home for their final game on Wednesday.

Kiesha Cook led the team with three kills and nine digs throughout the match. In the total season, Cook ranks 38 in the conference for digs, leading above the team and 206 with kills.

Rebekah Johnson drew two kills and nine digs as the second leading scorer in the game in total.

“The team went out there and they really ended the game on their best and fought hard as ever,” said Bryan Van Vliet, head coach in his second year with the team.

The Lady Vikings have struggled since their season opened. Van Vliet said, “The team was struggling towards the end with a few players ineligible or injured but in the end, they pulled it together.”

Defeat has been a trend for the team, going 6-18 on the season. The team went 3-15 through Oct. 4. However, the Lady Vikings finished the season by winning three of their last six games.

Hudson Valley started leading the game in the second set after a rocky 7-25 start in the first set. The Lady Vikings butted heads with the Lady Timberwolves, tying four times at 6-6, 10-10, 13-13 and 14-14.

Right side hitter Erin McCann blocked the ball barely over the line to fight off the Timberwolves in the middle of the second set seven minutes into the bout. McCann currently leads the team with kills, totaling 51 kills in the current season.

The Lady Vikings lost momentum against the Lady Timberwolves ten minutes into the second set once again at 14-15. Hudson Valley failed to bounce back, scoring only three more time within the second set, leaving the final score at 17-25.

The team struggled to fight back, falling behind the Lady Timberwolves without a tie as the match came to an end. Lanier, right side hitter had the last serve of the night for Hudson Valley.

The game came to a close in the third set when defensive specialist Alexis McCleary dove to save the Lady Vikings time to end in a blaze of glory, but did not make it over the net.

The Lady Vikings have not gone on to become conference champions in 19 years. The team has also not had a player within the NJCAA top 25 players in hitting efficiency since Erin Fagan was number 19 in 2002. Although defeat has been prominent in the team’s record since 1996, this season has shown a three game advancement since the previous season.

The Lady Vikings finish their season on a bitter-sweet note with the great effort that came to no avail on Wednesday.