The Lake Linden-Hubbell volleyball team celebrates a point well earned on the court Tuesday in a match against Baraga at the Baraga High School Gym. (Eddie O’Neill/For the Gazette)

BARAGA — The Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes volleyball team was two points away from a 3-0 sweep of the Baraga Vikings on Tuesday night on the road. Instead, the Baraga not only won the third set, but took the fourth as well to a force a fifth set.

The Lakes won that one and ultimately the match, 3-2 (25-23, 25-20, 23-25, 22-25, and16-14).

While she took the win, Lakes’ coach Joslynn Perala wasn’t happy with her team’s inconsistency.

“I was disappointed,” she stated. “There were certainly some highlights and good things that happened, but we couldn’t dominate when we should have. We need to work on consistency and energy, and those are things I cannot teach.”

In the first set, the Lakes jumped out to a 5-2 lead. While the Vikings tied it at five and six, that is as close as they got. With Hailey Crouch serving, the Lakes pushed out to a 14-9 lead and kept that lead to win this one 25-23.

The second set was much the same. The Lakes led the whole set. It started with strong service by Ella Schneiderhan and was followed by strong play by the Lakes libero Ashlyn Steves. Steves had seven aces and some great digs to lead her squad to a 25-20 victory.

“Ashlyn’s play was certainly a highlight,” said Perala. “As well, Cleo Milkey and Ella had good games with 12 and five kills each.”

The Vikings made the waters choppy for the Lakes in the third by taking their first lead at 7-5. While it was tied at 10 and again at 13 and 18, the Vikings stayed ahead by two and won the set by that same margin.

Momentum was with the Vikings in the fourth set. After a 12-12 knot and even a tie at 18, the Baraga squad pushed to a 21-18 lead with Danica Jahfetson on the line. They kept that three-point led and held on for the set win.

It was now a race to 15 in the fifth-and-final set. While the Lakes were up by as much as four at 12-8, the Vikings tied it at 14. However, with Schneiderhan on the line, the Lakes took the last two points and won the match.

Despite the loss, Baraga’s coach Corey Pietila was far from disappointed.

“This was a complete 360 for us from our Wakefield game a week ago,” she said. “This is the best we’ve played. We communicated well. Our serve-receive was strong as was our setting. I’m super proud of the effort.”

Up next

The Lakes will welcome Ewen-Trout Creek to their gym on Monday, Sept. 8. The Vikings will take on Chassell at home on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

Baraga’s back line of Elisa Delene (middle), Jayla Issacson (left) and Lilly Tapani prepare for a serve from Lake Linden-Hubbell during a match Tuesday at the Baraga High School Gym.