11/08/14 • By The Telegram Staff

WAHPETON, ND -- Nine years ago, Central Community College head volleyball coach Mary Young clinched her first national tournament berth, which was held in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Current Raider Molly Gotschall was the water girl on that team.

"She's been saying all year she wants to end her Raider career there," Young said. "She started there as a water girl and wanted to end her career as a Raider there."

Gotschall will do just that, as the Raiders won the Division II, District G Championship with a pair of wins over North Dakota State College of Science over the weekend and travel to the national tournament in Scottsdale Nov. 20.

The National Junior College Athletic Association Division II, No. 2 Central Community College volleyball team knocked out No. 12 North Dakota State College of Science 25-20, 25-13, 24-26, 26-22 Friday and 22-25, 26-24, 25-16, 21-25, 15-13 Saturday in Wahpeton, North Dakota.

After taking the first match in four sets, the Raiders hoped to continue to roll through Saturday. That proved to be easier said than done, however.

"Our hope after winning the first match was to come fast out of the shoot and set the tone early and they had something to say about that," Young said.

North Dakota State used a scrappy defense and a powerful duo at the net to take the first set 25-22 Saturday.

Plus, the Raiders missed three serves in the first set alone Saturday, or three more than they missed in Friday's match.

"We don't know if that would have changed the set, but they didn't have to work for those three points at least," Young said.

Eventually, Central powered through the slow start to take the next two sets 26-24 and 26-16.

"We really kept playing with a lot of poise and we played with a lot of composure," Young said. "I put (North Dakota State) up in the same bracket as (Johnson County, Cowley County Community College and Kansas City Kansas Community College) easily and we beat those teams. I felt like we were playing tense and the girls really rallied around each other."

Not only did Central have to regain its composure to hold on for the five-set win Saturday, but the Raiders found themselves rattled in Friday's match.

After North Dakota State edged the Raiders 26-24 in the third set Friday, the Raiders dug into an 11-1 hole in the fourth set.

"We were down 11-1 in Set 4 and we had to use both timeouts," Young said. "To come back and win is no easy task."

That's when Payton Chohon took control.

"Payton was instrumental in that stretch," Young said. "She brought all the girls together and I don't know what she said, but players told me it was a defining moment."

Chohon had 13 kills and two blocks Friday and 14 kills, six blocks and two ace serves Saturday.

Friday at Wahpeton, ND

Match 1

Central (34-6) 25 25 24 25

NDSCS 20 13 26 22

* KILLS: Central - Megan Anderson 16, Payton Chohon 13, Skyler Erickson 6, Morgan Nikkila 5, Cassidy Yong 4, Makaleigh Yantzie 3.

* BLOCKS: Central - Anderson 6, Yantzie 4, Chohon 2, Erickson 2, Yong 1, Nikkila 1.

* ACE SERVES: Central - Shayla Trotter 1, Molly Gotschall 1, Brooke Robertson 1, Erickson 1

* ASSISTS: Central - Yong 39

* DIGS: Central - Yong 5, Trotter 4, Robertson 3, Erickson 3, Gotschall 2, Nikkila 1, Chohon 1, Yantzie 1

Saturday at Wahpeton, ND

Match 2

Central 22 26 25 21 15

NDSCS 25 24 16 25 13

* KILLS: Central - Erickson 15, Anderson 14, Chohon 14, Yantzie 10, Yong 5, Nikkila 4

* BLOCKS: Central - Chohon 6, Anderson 4, Yantzie 3, Erickson 2, Yong 2, Nikkila 2

* ACE SERVES: Central - Chohon 2, Gotschall 1, Yong 1

* ASSISTS: Central - Yong 23

* DIGS: Central - Yong 20, Erickson 18, Gotschall 12, Trotter 11, Chohon 9, Robertson 6, Yantzie 2, Anderson 1