Mendon repeats as D4 champs with four-set win over Leland
Leland made it more competitive in 2019, but the result was the same. Mendon earned its second consecutive Division 4 state championship by besting Leland in the final for the second time. The Hornets swept the Comets in 2018, but…
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Continue ReadingLeland made it more competitive in 2019, but the result was the same.
Mendon earned its second consecutive Division 4 state championship by besting Leland in the final for the second time. The Hornets swept the Comets in 2018, but needed four sets to get the job done this year. The final scores were 25-17, 25-19, 27-29, 25-14.
“The hard work that these girls have put in, I just can’t say how proud I am of them because it was a completely different group, a completely different dynamic, but with the same work ethic and the same drive and will to win,” Mendon coach Heather Bowers said.
Tatum KareckLeland tried to start quickly, opening the match with a 4-0 lead thanks to three kills from junior Tatum Karick, but Mendon was able to respond with a 10-2 run to take a lead that it wouldn’t relinquish.
In the second set, Mendon opened things up with a 6-1 lead. Anna Smith had a pair of kills in the early run to allow the Hornets to control the set and put Leland with its back against the wall quickly.
“It was very important (to start fast) because (Leland) had that sense of revenge and they wanted to get us this year,” Bowers said. “They were so close last year and that feeling has to give you that motivation to work really, really hard. I knew we had to get on top of them right away.”
The third set provided the most back-and-forth, as Leland led most of the way, looking like it would force a fourth set. The Eagles had set point at 24-19, but Mendon didn’t go quietly, scoring six straight points to take a 25-24 advantage and reach championship point. Leland would answer, as Olivia Lowe had a kill to make it 25-25. The Hornets would fight off another set point at 27-26 on a kill by Smith, but Leland scored the last two points thanks to a pair of Mendon errors, winning 29-27.
Knowing it couldn’t let Leland pick up any more momentum, Mendon showed their championship grit in the fourth and never trailed in the set. Smith set the tone with three kills in the first six points for the Hornets.
Smith, building off her great finals weekend in 2018, finished Saturday’s championship with 22 kills while hitting .386.
Anna Smith“The fact of the matter is she can score at will against our team, against any team. I haven’t seen anybody shut her down, really,” Leland coach Laurie Glass said of Smith. “She has all the shots. She gets up there and she sees the tips, she sees the corner, she sees the line, she sees the cross. At this level, not a lot of D4 schools have kids who can do all of that at will.”
Smith had some help on Saturday as well. Senior Taylor Heitkamp added 12 kills while hitting .385, and Andrea Hoffman had six kills.
“We knew (Leland) was such a balanced team. We had to be one too,” Bowers said. “We all showed up. We all got involved. It was amazing. It was a great group effort.”
Smith added 13 digs and four aces for the Hornets while Juliana Hagenbuch had 19 digs and Isabella Smith chipped in with 12. Gracie Russell tallied 41 assists.
Leland was led on the day by a balanced trio of hitters. Kareck finished with 15 kills and 16 digs while Gillian Grobbel had 13 kills and Lowe picked up 11 kills with nine digs. Mia Osorio and Jennifer Estrada each had 10 digs while Jana Molby had 37 assists.
The Comets will graduate just one from this roster, giving them a very experienced squad heading into 2020.
“I lose my Gilly (Gillian Grobbel), so that will be challenging to replace. For next year, I have everybody back and some youngsters that look pretty good. Leland volleyball looks good,” Glass said.
Mendon graduates four from its 2019 championship roster, but will return nine, including Smith.