The Copper Kings’ Helen Beiring goes up for the kill as the Gremlins’ Meghan Trewhella (left) and Stella Wickstrom (16) anticipate a block on Tuesday in Calumet. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

CALUMET – The Calumet Copper Kings volleyball team did what they do best on Tuesday, make sure that the other team makes the most mistakes. The other team was the Houghton Gremlins, and they fell in three straight sets to the Copper Kings, 25-20, 25-13 and 25-10, at the Calumet gym.

“Our errors dictated the game,” said Gremlins coach Blaire Zenner. “The girls let their mistakes control their style of play.”

That wasn’t the story of the whole game. The Gremlins (16-2-1) came out strong and stayed in step with the Copper Kings. The game was tied at 12 and 13 before the Copper Kings pulled away mainly through the play of their captain Helen Beiring. She put down two kills at 17 and 18 and would go on to have an impressive 14 kills on the night, much to the delight of her coach Kate Bonacorsi. She also added 18 digs.

“Helen is powerful, but she also has such a wide shot selection,” said Bonacorsi. “She can hit off the block or down the line, and she can position a perfect tip just out of reach on the opponent.”

That varied style of play that Calumet (18-6) threw at Houghton led to a 25-20 first set victory and certainly was the key to winning the next two.

While the Gremlins were able to tie it at four to open the second that really was as good as it got. That morphed into a 16-10 Copper Kings lead and momentum was on their side as Laina Kariniemi stepped to the line. She posted a five-point service run that sealed a second set victory. She also had 25 assists on the night.

“We struggled to anticipate where the ball was going,” said Zenner. “We need to do a better job of reading the hitters arms.”

Calumet’s Kaylie Halonen was the hero of the third set. After the teams rallied to ties at eight and night, she served up an impressive 13-point service run. The key to this run’s longevity was not in aces by Halonen but by her teammates’ stellar defense. Houghton could get nothing to fall on the other side of the net.

Halonen finished her night with three aces and 15 digs.

Much of that was due to the long arms of the Copper Kings. As a team, they had 18 blocks on the night. Jackie Kiilunen led with five of them.

“You win games by keeping the other team guessing and defending your side of the net,” concluded Bonacorsi and we did both of that well tonight.”

Up next

The Copper Kings will face the Gwinn Modeltowners Thursday at home. The Gremlins will take on the L’Anse Purple Hornets at home Thursday as well.