HANCOCK - Hancock made its way into the district finals by disposing of Dollar Bay 3-0 (25-12, 25-10, 25-10) in a Class D volleyball semifinal Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs were in complete control throughout the contest even though the Bays battled to the bitter end. Hancock rolled in the opening set.
The Bulldogs continued to build on their lead throughout first set. A point off the serve of Dinah Bekkala closed out the set and gave Hancock a 1-0 advantage.
Dollar Bay jumped out in front early in the second set. A pair of points off the serve of Mariah Marcol gave the Bays a quick 3-1 lead.
But Hancock began to take control after a sideout gave it the serve back. Five straight points from Briana Raasio put the Bulldogs in front to stay 7-3.
After a pair of sideouts made it 8-4, Lucy Storm delivered eight straight points to up the lead to 16-4. Maria Almquist had a kill to help out during the run.
The two teams traded points the rest of the way. A sideout on the Bays gave Hancock the second set.
The third set also remained close early. Three straight points off the serve of Taylor Patchin kept Dollar Bay within two at 7-5.
From that point on, the Bulldogs slowly began to seize control. With the score 14-7 Hancock, Taylor Murray served up seven straight points to up the margin to 13 at 21-8.
Raasio then put the match away with a pair of points to lock up the victory. Raasio finished with five kills, seven aces and four digs.
"We just wanted to come out and maintain our level of intensity through the whole match and I thought we did that for the most part," Hancock coach Kristan Schuster said. "We had to be prepared for a lot of unexpected balls coming over just because they don't have the ball control yet, but it wasn't that long ago I remember being that same team that they were since I started the program here and being in a district for the first time.
"They've (Dollar Bay) come a long way this year and they're still so positive no matter how many hits they've taken."
Almquist added nine kills, six aces and three digs. Lynnette Hokenson chipped in three kills and four aces.
Dinah Bekkala had three kills and Storm added 21 assists for the Bulldogs. Hancock will move on to face Baraga in the championship Thursday at 6 p.m.
The Vikings earned their way into the title tilt with a 3-1 (20-25, 25-16, 25-18, 28-26) win over Lake Linden-Hubbell. It didn't start out well for Baraga.
The Vikings were a little out of sorts and the Lakes took the opening set. LL-H took control of the set after a sideout on the Vikings.
Two points off the serve of Ashley Branham gave the Lakes their biggest lead of the set at 20-14. But Baraga battled back to trim the lead back to two (22-20) on four straight service points from Alexandria Mayo.
Two points, however, was as close as the Vikings would get. LL-H scored the final three points of the set to go up 1-0.
A kill by Ellen Englund forced a sideout and gave the Lakes back the serve. Molly Monette's kill locked up the victory.
Set two was close early. Neither team led by more than four points until Corey Pietila stepped to the service line.
Pietila reeled off four consecutive points to up the lead to 14-6. A series of sideouts kept the margin at eight until a point off the serve of Rebecca Rasanen closed it out and knotted things up at a set apiece.
It was more of the same in the third set. Neither team was able to seize control until late in the set.
Baraga then finally gained command by scoring the final six points of the set to go up 2-1. Nicole Keranen had the final five points for the Vikings to lock up set three.
Baraga led by as many as nine points in the fourth and decisive set. Three straight points from Rasanen put the Vikings in front 17-8.
But LL-H came roaring back. The Lakes scored 16 of the next 23 points to level the score at 24.
Four straight points from Branham brought LL-H even. Branham got some help along the way on a kill from Amanda McMichael.
The two teams traded points until a sideout gave the Vikings the serve. Keranen then delivered set point and Baraga was on its way to the championship.
"We were really tight in that first game," Baraga coach Peggy Reinsch said. "I've got some real emotional and intense seniors and sometimes they get a little too emotional.
"But we worked it out and started talking to each other, not only talking to each other but listening."
K.D. Warvie can be reached at kwarvie@ mininggazette.com.
