The atmosphere inside Crane High School's gym Tuesday night was unlike anything the Lady Pirates had felt all season.

From the first serve, the home crowd was deafening. Every point - even the early ones - brought a roar so loud it rattled the floor. Dozens of high-school students packed the bleachers, standing shoulder to shoulder and chanting through every rally.

For the girls on the court, it felt like they had a seventh man behind them - a wall of energy that refused to let them quit.

Crane came out sharp, taking the first two sets without much of a fight from Marionville. But the Comets stormed back to win the next two, forcing a decisive fifth set that had the entire gym on its feet.

The Lady Pirates regrouped, feeding off the crowd’s energy to edge Marionville in the final set and advance in district play.

The win wasn’t just about survival - it was a showcase of resilience, teamwork, and home-court pride. Players dove for digs, fought through long rallies, and matched Marionville point for point in a match that stretched nerves to the limit.

Adding to the celebration, junior libero Madi Lansdown hit a major career milestone - recording her 1,000th career dig during the game. Lansdown, wearing the alternate jersey as Crane’s defensive anchor, drew applause and cheers across the gym.

The Lady Pirates now advance to face New Covenant Academy, a top-seeded program with a 22–4–3 record that swept Crane earlier this season in straight sets (25–19, 25–12, 25–11).

Crane enters the semifinal matchup at 16–13–3, riding the momentum of their thrilling district win and hoping their home crowd - their true seventh man - can help fuel another upset Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. inside the Crane gym.