The Prescott Cardinals lost to the Rice Lake Warriors in three sets in the sectional round of the playoffs in Rice Lake on Thursday night.

It’s a tough loss for an exceptional Prescott team that looked like it could go the distance. Even though they lost in three sets, the first two could easily have gone the other way.

The Cardinals kept both sets close, only losing 25-21 and 25-20 respectively. Their main downfall was their serving, which had been an asset for them all year. Thursday marked the first time they served below 90% this season, whereas, in contrast, Rice Lake served at 95%.

Serve percentage is calculated by adding together all a team’s aces (unreturnable serves) and their serves that stay in bounds, and then dividing that sum by the total number of attempts. It’s a way to gauge how many points you’re giving away by serving out of bounds or into the net.

Speaking of the net, the front row did well in those first two sets, but they still sent over 13 free balls to Rice Lake's five, which is not a differential you want to see. A free ball is when the ball is returned over the net with a bump or pass, not a spike. Basically, it’s a defensive move that is undesirable.

Ultimately, their struggles with serving and the free balls were the deciding factor for Prescott in those first two sets, although there was a stretch in the second set where Prescott seemed to be turning things around. They had some really nice kills, their blockers got good touches on attacks, and their serving was at 100%. Unfortunately, that stretch came a little too late in the set, and they weren't able to gain enough ground to end it with a win.

Set three was really the perfect storm. Things got away from them early, and they never recovered, losing by a score of 25-16. Prescott struggled across the board in the final frame, according to Head Coach Tracey Budworth.

“Our passing and serve-receive were the deciding factors for set three. We made things too hard for our setter. She had to run too much, and we didn't give her enough chances to set our hitters up,” Budworth said. “Ultimately, we couldn't get things turned around mentally and made mistakes that were really uncharacteristic for us.” 

Still, it was the first time in 40 years that Prescott has won a regional title, so there’s a lot to be proud of. Coach Budworth has done a good job creating a winning culture over the last seasons, and there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future of the Cardinals program.

“Thursday was most definitely a tough loss for us. It was not how we had hoped to end our season, but despite how things went in Rice Lake, I'm incredibly proud of this team,” Budworth said. “They had a historic season, and I'm glad I got to be there to witness it.”

Prescott ran a 5-1 rotation this year with two defensive specialists, so they essentially had eight players in every set. Of those eight, four were seniors that will not be returning next year: Middle hitters Reese Ptacek and Lila Posthuma, setter Katressa Syverson, and defensive specialist Kianna Severson.

“I personally think I had the strongest bench in the conference. Senior Megan Richter played middle for me this year, and I could put her in for either of my other middles and not miss a beat. She was powerful at the net and consistent with her serve,” Budworth said.

With all the talent they’re losing, especially their premier setter – a position that teams hinge their offense on - Budworth doesn’t see Prescott being any less competitive going into next season.

“Next year, Mackenzie Sterud will step in at setter. She's ready. She's had the benefit of working alongside Katressa all season, so she's learned from the best,” Budworth said. “Kaitlyn Stuart and Amanda Miller are strong all-around players. They stepped in when I needed them this year too, and there wasn't a single hiccup. I'm confident that we'll have a strong team again next year.”

The returning starters for the Cardinals are Natalie Ptacek, Aubryn Ennenga, Leah French, and Marisa Cogan. With Sterud, Stuart, and Miller coming in to fill key roles, they have a strong core. Prescott showed a lot of growth in their younger players this year, so they’re set up well for the next several years where they will look to keep building on that winning culture.