Ravens get upset by Pratt in district playoff game

On paper, the #17 nationally ranked Red Ravens volleyball team should have had little problem defeating the Pratt Beavers in a first round district playoff game at Nellis Hall on Tuesday night. 

The Ravens entered with a 33-12 overall record, a school record for wins in a season, while Pratt was under .500 at 14-19.  The Ravens had won five straight matches heading into district play.  Pratt had lost four of six.  In addition, the Ravens had beaten Pratt in two regular season meetings.  However, the game is not played on paper.

Pratt pulled off an upset of Coffeyville, defeating the Red Ravens in five games and ending the Ravens season without a trip to the district tournament.

The Ravens could never get untracked against Pratt.  The Ravens won the first game, 32-30, but not without a late comeback.  The Ravens trailed 23-21, but a 6-0 run gave the Ravens a 27-23 lead.  Pratt, though, would answer with a 7-3 run to knot the game at 30-30.  The Ravens managed to get the final two points to take the game, but fortunes would change in the second game.

Coffeyville would take a 12-6 lead in game two and seemingly had control of the match.  However, Pratt answered with an 8-0 run to take a 14-12 lead over the Ravens.  The Ravens would tie the game at 17-17, but Pratt pulled away took the second game by the score of 30-24.

The Ravens would bounce back with their best streak of the night in the third game.  After Pratt took a 6-4 lead, the Ravens exploded with a 13-1 run and took a double-digit lead at 17-7.  Pratt would chip away, but would get no closer than four the rest of the game.  Coffeyville would win game three 30-23 to take a two games to one advantage heading into the fourth game.

Pratt took control early of the fourth game and stretched the lead out to five at 19-14.  The Ravens tied the score at 19-19 with a 5-0 run.  The 19-19 scored was the first of 10 ties down the stretch in a game that went to the wire.  Coffeyville had two golden opportunities to win the match.  The Ravens had the serve with a 32-31 lead and also at 33-32.  However, Pratt scored three straight points to win the fourth game, 35-33, and forcing a fifth game.

The Ravens got off to a quick start in the tie-breaking game, jumping out to a 3-0 lead.  Pratt answered with a 4-0 run to take a 4-3 lead.  The Ravens got the game tied at 4-4 on a kill by Katy Bowen, the first of 10 ties which took the deciding game to a 10-10 deadlock.  Pratt would score two straight points to take a 12-10 lead.  After a timeout by Ravens' Head Coach Delice Downing, the Ravens would cut the lead to 12-11 on a kill by Morgan Wyatt.

Pratt, though, scored the next two points and forcing the Ravens against the wall at 14-11.  A block at the net that dropped in for the Ravens cut the lead to 14-12, but Pratt would score the game winning point on the ensuing Coffeyville serve.  Pratt's 15-12 final game win propelled the Beavers to this weekend's district tournament in Chanute and ended an otherwise great season for the Ravens.