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Cretin-Derham Hall holds off Suburban East rival Stillwater

By Peter Odney, SportsEngine, 10/04/16, 11:30AM CDT

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Brynn Carlson tallied a match-high 31 kills for the Raiders, who won their 10 consecutive match.


Senior outside hitter Brynn Carlson tallied a match-high 31 kills to lead Cretin-Derham Hall to a thrilling 3-2 home victory over Stillwater in Suburban East Conference action on Tuesday night. Photo by Rick Orndorf/SportsEngine

Brynn Carlson is playing for something larger than herself this season. 

It's not the scholarship offer from Kansas State she’s accepted or the talented Cretin-Derham Hall lineup that could make a deep postseason run. 

It's the memory of her deceased Betta fish, Fredrick. 

“I learned a lot from him swimming around in that tank,” Carlson said with faux grief.

What she learned was to just keep playing in the face of challenges, and that’s exactly what Carlson and her teammates did on Tuesday night. 

The Raiders (13-1, 4-0) battled an inspired Stillwater team for five sets and came away with a 25-23, 18-25, 25-15, 25-18, 15-10 home victory over their Suburban East Conference rival that extended their winning streak to 10 matches.

The marathon contest was a far cry from the Raiders’ past three, in which they dropped just one set in each. 

“I love going into a gym where you don’t know if you’re going to win,” Cretin-Derham Hall coach Rick Kuehlwein said. 

The result may have been in doubt, but an unquestionable element of the match was the effort of Deaira Gresham.

The senior outside hitter piled up 14 kills and could be seen diving and throwing herself headfirst into collisions with the floor throughout the match. 

“Deaira is our best serve receiver,” Kuehlwein said. “She’s a stable person in our defense.”

“Because of Deaira, we probably won," he added.

Gresham is a trustworthy companion on the court, Carlson said.

“The best thing about Deaira, besides the fact that she’s an awesome volleyball player, is her energy,” Carlson said. “She’s always here cheering, bringing our energy up.”

Gresham admitted that her contagious energy can sometimes overflow during a game, forcing her to take a moment to refocus. 

“It’s hard when you’re in an intense match to take a deep breath and recollect yourself,” Gresham said. “That’s something I need to work on as a player.”

Carlson’s powerful kill stroke needed no work and was on full display Tuesday, but she admitted that a softer touch could make her a more dynamic force.

“I think it’s important, especially going into college,” Carlson said of needing to diversify her hit selection. 

Carlson, an all-Suburban East selection a year ago, finished with 31 kills Tuesday night, increasing her season total to a league-best 249. 

“I try to throw in some tips and rolls when I can, but obviously hitting hard is the most fun,” Carlson concluded with a smile.  


Stillwater (8-5, 4-1) was led by junior outside hitter Mikayla Gjerde, who had 18 kills. Photo by Rick Orndorf/SportsEngine

First Report

Senior outside hitter Brynn Carlson tallied a match-high 31 kills to lead Cretin-Derham Hall to a thrilling 25-23, 18-25, 25-15, 25-18, 15-10 home victory over Stillwater in Suburban East Conference action on Tuesday night. 

Senior outside hitter Deaira Gresham added 14 kills in the win for the Raiders (13-1, 4-0), ranked No. 11 in the Class 3A coaches’ poll. 

Stillwater (8-5, 4-1) was led by junior outside hitter Mikayla Gjerde, who had 18 kills. 

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