D4 semifinal recap: St. Philip to defend vs. Inland Lakes
It doesn’t get much different in program success than Battle Creek St. Philip and Indian River Inland Lakes. The Tigers have won 21 state championships and are set to appear in a 31st state final on Saturday when they take…
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Continue ReadingIt doesn’t get much different in program success than Battle Creek St. Philip and Indian River Inland Lakes.
The Tigers have won 21 state championships and are set to appear in a 31st state final on Saturday when they take on Inland Lakes, who is making its first-ever championship appearance.
Both teams clawed their way to a semifinal victory on Thursday in Kellogg Arena and will square off in Saturday’s D4 final at 10 a.m.
Here’s a recap of how both advanced.
Inland Lakes over Sacred Heart 21-25, 27-25, 25-19, 21-25, 15-9
During warmups, it certainly looked like Sacred Heart had the athleticism and size advantage, which the Irish did.
However, Inland Lakes proved to have a lot of grit and resiliency.
Making its first semifinals appearance, the Bulldogs found a way past the Irish to let the volleyball world know they are for real.
“Anywhere we go, people have no idea who we are. People ask ‘where is that’ and we’re like, ‘up by the bridge,’ and use our hand our whatever. That was my goal as a coach coming in, is making this program a big deal. I think we are doing it. People are going to know who we are now,” Inland Lakes coach Nicole Moore said. “Today proves that anyone that can show up and do the right things can win (the championship). I guarantee not many people were expecting us to win our game.”
Inland Lakes was hitting -.538 in the early going of Thursday’s semifinal, but shook off the jitters and eventually came together. Natalie Wandrie was the leader with 25 kills and 21 digs while providing a lot of energy on the floor.
Hannah Robinson added 12 kills, while Olivia Monthei had 10 kills with 25 digs. Alyssa Byrne recorded 44 assists and 14 digs, while Ryann Clancy had 25 digs of her own.
Sacred Heart was led by Maddie Munley in the middle, who had 21 kills. Lillie Laney added 13 kills, while Laura Goenner had 12 kills.
Kelsey McDonald had 24 digs to lead the Irish defense, while Delaney Scully had 15 digs and 28 assists.
St. Philip over Inter-City Baptist 25-20, 25-18, 21-25, 25-15
St. Philip will look to repeat as Division 4 state champions and collect their 22nd title in program history following a four-set win over Inter-City Baptist on Thursday.
“It never gets old. As a coach, I want these kids to experience this and that’s a lot of pressure on me (and the coaches), and that’s what we work for,” St. Philip coach Vicky Groat said. “I am excited for them and excited that we have fans in the stands this year. It doesn’t get old. I get nervous, and I’m nervous for the kids, but I’m excited for the kids because I want them to experience this and enjoy it.”
Inter-City Baptist didn’t make it easy on the Tigers, as they focused their defensive attention on Brooke Dzwik Brooke Dzwik 5'10" | OH Battle Creek St. Phil | 2022 State MI and really made her earn her points. Dzwik still collected a match-high 21 kills, but was held to .162 hitting.
With Dzwik drawing the attention, Alexis Snyder stepped up for the Tigers with 13 kills, while Rachel Myers dished out 33 assists.
Defensively, St. Philip had a balanced effort. Dzwik had 17 digs, while Myers had 16 and Rylee Altman had 13.
ICB was led by Bethany Estell, who had 16 kills and eight digs. Madison Handyside and Ali Bettinger each added seven kills for the Chargers. Evelyn Karamon finished with 32 assists and 14 digs, while Marissa Peterson led the defense with 20 digs.