D2 Semifinals Recap: Defending Champs Get Newcomer

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Division 2 semifinals got the action started on Friday at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both contests went four sets, with defending champ Detroit Country Day now set to meet first-time finalist Flat Rock for the title on Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a recap of both semifinal contests.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Country Day def. GR Christian 18-25, 30-28, 25-23, 25-23</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After dropping the first set to No. 3 Grand Rapids Christian, top-ranked Country Day snapped into championship mode.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Yellowjackets rode a calm flow of emotion to take the next three sets, all by just two points, to take down another top-5 opponent in this championship defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We've been pretty even keel, and we've been in these situations a lot this year. So, I think that once that happens (drop a set), we never say never. We always push and try to just work through the hard times,” DCD coach Kim Lockhart said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles (36-10) rode six aces in the first set to keep the Yellowjackets (28-9) on their heels and take the first set.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the second, GRC had four opportunities to take a 2-set lead, but Country Day managed to stay alive. A big kill from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='450415' first='Leah' last='Green'] </strong>put Country Day up in the set. She and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442977' first='Demi' last='McCoy'] </strong>then followed with a block to close the set and even up the match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Country Day trailed 23-22 in the third, but scored the final three points thanks to another kill and block combo from Green.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the fourth, Country Day saw GRC fight off six match points to tie things at 24-24, but Country Day again held steady and scored the next two. Green again finished off the set with a block to put the Eagles away.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Green finished with two solo blocks and seven assists, as well as six kills. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='446702' first='Elise' last='Hiemstra'] </strong>had 19 kills and eight digs for DCD, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='898111' first='Aliyah' last='Potapenko'] </strong>had 10 kills and two solo blocks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='574175' first='Payton' last='Woodruff'] </strong>added 34 assists.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442982' first='Grace' last='Goodyke'] </strong>had 17 kills and four aces to lead GRC, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='881552' first='Mya' last='McKinnon'] </strong>had 12 kills and hit .455. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='490372' first='Piper' last='Cebulski'] </strong>added 19 assists and 14 digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Flat Rock def. Fremont 25-20, 26-24, 23-25, 25-22</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tenth-ranked Flat Rock (39-8) advanced to its first state championship match thanks to a four-set win over unranked Fremont (38-14).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rams were the aggressor for the entire match, but the Packers did a good job of scrambling and playing defense to keep each set competitive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Flat Rock's offense was a lot for the Packers to deal with as junior setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443001' first='Zoe' last='Ryan'] </strong>spread the ball out well and racked up a school-record 55 assists for the Rams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“When we were in system, we were hard to stop,” Flat Rock coach Morgan Delhey said. “So, that's what I just kept telling the girls, just focusing on passing. It starts with the pass, and then we put that ball away. When we're in system, we are able to get teams off their balance.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='839917' first='Sarah' last='Giroux'] </strong>was the biggest piece of the Flat Rock attack, as she had 30 kills and hit .338.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She was consistent throughout the match and spurred on a 5-point run for Flat Rock to end the first set, breaking a 20-20 tie.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Giroux also broke a 23-23 tie in the second set with a kill that eventually pushed the Rams to a 2-set lead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fremont fought its way to a win in the third set, but found itself down 24-18 in the fourth and could only fight off four match points before the Rams closed things out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Giroux had 24 digs to go with her team-high 30 kills. <strong>Reagan Higdon </strong>had 15 kills and 16 digs, while <strong>Lily Klein </strong>added 11 kills and seven digs. <strong>Maelie Fricke </strong>picked up 21 digs for Flat Rock as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Taylor DeKuiper </strong>and <strong>Ava Geers </strong>each had nine kills to lead the Fremont attack, while <strong>Ashe VandenBerg </strong>had eight kills. <strong>Brvnna Barnhart </strong>had 30 assists, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='801830' first='Grace' last='Evans'] </strong>made 24 digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->