Division 4 semifinals recap: Leland & Mendon create finals rematch
The more things change, the more they stay the same. After a full season of action in Division 4, the 2019 state championship match on Saturday will be a repeat of the 2018 final, as Mendon will take on Leland.…
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Continue ReadingThe more things change, the more they stay the same.
After a full season of action in Division 4, the 2019 state championship match on Saturday will be a repeat of the 2018 final, as Mendon will take on Leland.
Mendon outlasts Southfield Christian in five
Anna SmithThe Hornets had their title run nearly ended, but they outlasted Southfield Christian in five sets, 27-25, 17-25, 19-25, 25-22, 15-13.
The contest was a rematch of a 2018 semifinal in which Mendon swept Southfield Christian.
“Last year we shut (Southfield Christian) down early. This year, we didn’t shut them down early,” Mendon coach Heather Bowers said.
Thursday’s match came down to the first and fifth set. The Hornets found themselves down 24-20 in the first, but fought off four set points and eventually took the first 27-25.
In the fifth, Southfield Christian held a 6-2 lead, but Mendon answered with a 6-1 rally to take a 9-7 advantage. The set would eventually be tied 11-11, but Mendon junior Anna Smith took over, racking up kills for the team’s final three points.
“I wanted to win, especially for our seniors and especially for Gracie getting hurt in that last set. We just wanted it all so bad. I didn’t want to let my seniors down. We have been working hard all season,” Smith said after the win.
Smith finished the match with 36 kills after taking 80 swings. She also had 12 digs. Taylor Heitkamp added 13 kills and 12 digs while Juliana Hagenbuch had 25 digs. Gracie Russell finished with 58 assists while battling through a back injury in the fifth set.
Southfield Christian was led by Emily Van Dyke, who had 31 kills with 16 digs, while Caitlin Warnshuis had 25 kills, 24 digs and three aces. Rachel Stiteler finished with 50 assists and Hayley Ellington added 14 digs.
Leland makes quick work of Rudyard
Olivia LoweRudyard was making its first appearance in Battle Creek and Leland didn’t offer the Bulldogs a warm welcome.
The Comets served up 13 aces and rolled to a 25-21, 25-14, 25-15 victory to advance to Saturday’s final.” “Leland is a powerhouse. We don’t see quite that pace very often. We have to travel very far to play that level of volleyball,” Rudyard coach Ellen Perry said.
The first set was the most competitive, with Rudyard keeping Leland within reach at 13-12, but the Comets eventually took control thanks to three kills from Olivia Lowe.
In the second and third sets, the Comets would get on long rallies thanks to their serves. Not always aggressive, Leland would hit their spots and keep Rudyard from getting in-system.
The Comets would star the third set on a 12-1 run that included five aces from Lowe.
“It’s been a strength of ours all season,” Leland coach Lauire Glass said of their serving.
Lowe finished with nine kills and 16 digs to go with her five aces while Tatum Kareck had a team-high 13 kills and seven digs. Gillian Grobbel added 11 kills while Jana Molby tallied 36 assists and Mia Osorio had seven digs.
Rudyard was led by Nina Alpers, who had eight kills. Sara Beelen added six kills and 10 digs while Brooklyn Besteman had five kills.
Leland will look to avenge its 2018 finals loss to Mendon on Saturday at 10 a.m. The Comets were beaten by the Hornets 25-16, 25-21, 25-14. Leland has tested itself all season to be ready for a chance to regain the state championship.
“I think it starts with a really tough schedule. I think that we play people that are better than us a lot of the time with the idea that when we get to this point in time that we are tournament ready because we have been beaten up a lot,” Glass said. “We have a lot of losses this year to some really fine teams, but we enjoy the battle and I think it prepares us for this.”