Cardinals clinch share of conference title; Hurons and Vikings sweep Montmorency County schools
The Onaway Cardinals’ varsity volleyball team traveled to Bellaire Tuesday for a Ski Valley Conference match and the Eagles gave them all they could handle. The match would go five sets with Onaway dropping the first two 22-25 and 26-28 before winning game three 25-22 and taking the fourth 25-16 and the decisive fifth set 15-6 to improve to 7-0 in the conference and 22-8-5 overall.
The win guarantees the Cardinals at least a share of the conference title with one conference match, at Mancelona Tuesday remaining. The Cardinals control their own destiny and with a win would win their fourth straight, and fourth-ever, conference title.
“We had almost no offense in the first two sets. We didn’t make a lot of mistakes but we just played right into their defense and didn’t show a lot of tenacity at the net. We didn’t have much emotion or urgency. We lost the first two games by a combined seven points and never really played solid,” said coach Steve Watson.
Watson said his team made a good strong comeback in the second set despite dropping the set and it seemed to start the fire. By the fourth game he felt that his hitters really came alive and hit the ball with more power and more desire.
“We could have definitely quit when things got tough but they willed themselves to find a way and I am happy about that. I am pleased with the way we overcame adversity,” said coach Watson.
Sophomore Maddie McLean led the hitting attack with 11 kills. McLean also added nine aces and 14 digs. Senior libero Jade Galer came within five of tying the record for digs in a match with 41 digs while also adding four kills.
Vydailya Letts had seven kills, 20 digs and five blocks in the match. Taylor Ehrke had six kills, 28 set assists, three aces, 18 digs and three blocks. Alison LaFave added 10 kills and 18 digs in the win.
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Rogers City (17-10-1) made quick work of Hillman Tuesday 25-9, 25-13, 25-16. The home team got the first six points of the first set, off the serves of Ally Streich, to set the tone for the match.
Hillman had trouble matching up with a variety of Huron hitters, led by Kayla Rabeau and Taylor Fleming with seven kills each along with Hannah Dittmar with five kills. Streich registered 20 assists and, four aces and three kills. Mary Brege added four ace serves and Megan Brege had 24 digs while Rabeau added 17 digs.
“This was kind of a test for us because we were without Sarah Meredith. She is our big outside hitter. She is out with a sore shoulder. We had to have someone step up and we had several of them step up,” said coach Jackie Quaine.
The Lady Hurons had mixed success in Saturday’s 16-team tournament at Suttons Bay High School. Rogers City lost to Bellaire 24-26, 25-27 and defeated Grand Traverse Academy 25-15, 28-16 to begin pool play. They lost a three-set match with Calumet 25-17, 13-25, 12-15 but made it to bracket play due to their high point-count.
In the gold bracket, Rogers City lost to Houghton, 25-21, 13-25, 12-15.
“It is a little disappointing that we started off well and then we didn’t come out hitting like we could,” Quaine said. “As the day went on we got better and stronger. I give them credit for that. They didn’t dwell on their mistakes.”
For the day Meredith led the team with 31 kills while adding 41 digs. Rabeau had 22 kills and 36 digs while Megan Brege, who was named team most valuable player for the tournament, had 79 digs and six ace serves. Streich had eight kills and 29 digs while Fleming added 12 kills and four blocks.
The Huron junior varsity defeated Hillman (25-9, 25-13, 13-15) Tuesday at home. Alexis Saile had five aces while Alissa Bowden had four and Shawna McDonald added three.
The Hurons play at Atlanta Thursday and host AuGres Tuesday.
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The Lady Vikings are back home tonight for Parents’ Night following a road sweep of Atlanta. The scores were 25-17, 25-14 and 25-11.
Jolene Reese had eight kills and five aces. Jenna Hincka had five aces as well.
The victory
Coach Laurie Maynard was frustrated with the loss because her squad had defeated them every time the schools had played in 2015.
“The game is all about momentum, so if you cannot keep momentum and keep the whole team on the same level,” said Maynard. The Vikings record is 11-11, with three splits.
The junior varsity (JV) lost to Hillman, 17-25, 9-25, but won game three, 17-15. Atlanta does not have a JV squad.
Tuesday, the varsity and JV travel to Mio.