FIELD TWP- The North Woods volleyball team kept its spotless record intact on Tuesday with a 3-1 home win over the Cherry Tigers.
The Grizzlies took control early in the first game, pushing out to a 15-8 advantage. The Tigers clawed back to within 18-15 when Mya Kinsey slammed a kill to short-circuit the Cherry run, and with Lauren Burnett nailing a spike down the line the Grizzlies had a small three-point flurry that gave them the spark they needed to finish out the game with a 25-17 win.
The Grizzlies found themselves playing from behind in the second game, with Cherry going up 9-3 early. North Woods kept pace and chipped away at the lead, drawing even at 16-16 on another Kinsey kill. With the Grizzlies getting big hits from Burnett and Brittin Lappi, they closed out the game with a 9-3 run for the 25-19 win.
North Woods opened up a 6-2 lead in the third, but the Tigers hung tough, knotting the score at 7-7. Cherry forged ahead and led by three when an Izzy Pascuzzi kill and two unforced Tigers errors brought the score even at 17-17. It was an all-out brawl from there to the finish, with Cherry coming out on top 25-23 to narrow the match to 2-1.
The Grizzlies came out of the break fired up and shot to an 11-2 lead, with Burnett sparking the team with a kill and a pair of aces. But the nine-point lead dwindled to just three when the Tigers reeled off six consecutive points. Pascuzzi ended the Cherry streak with a kill, and with Lappi serving the Grizzlies stretched the lead to 15-8. It was the last significant run of the match, as North Woods kept up the pressure and pushed the lead to ten at the end, claiming the match with a 25-15 win.
Grizzlies Head Coach Kaileen Redmond used the match as an opportunity to install a few new wrinkles.
“We were trying out some new things offensively, trying to get some swings in a few other spots and seeing what we could do,” she said.
Redmond said she wants her team that charge at the net.
“I would like to see our whole front row being a little more aggressive on the net,” she said. “We have to stay aggressive and keep the other team on their toes. We’re just roll shotting and tipping over, and that gives them a whole lot of time to prepare. We want to keep everyone moving.”
Greenway
The Grizzlies were on the road last Thursday to take on the Greenway Raiders, and came away with a solid 3-0 win. The Raiders presented a strong challenge, but the Grizzlies were up to the task, winning 25-20, 25-18, and 25-22.
Rock Ridge tourney
Standing at 8-0, this is the best season start for a Grizzlies team since a 7-0 mark to open the 2012 campaign. North Woods will try to extend the streak on Saturday when they play in the eight-team Rock Ridge Invitational.
The key to the Grizzlies’ prospects in the tourney came down to one word for Redmond – energy.
“We definitely need to keep our energy up,” she said. “This team is notorious for having slow starts first thing in the morning. We have a bye in the first round, so I’m hoping that little bit of extra sleep will help them start off real strong and keep their energy up throughout the day. I like our team dynamic, so as long as we can keep that high and mighty we’re going to be sitting pretty this year.”