Lakes volleyball keeps torch burning
Wins Torch Lake Trophy game over Blue Bolts 3-1
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DOLLAR BAY -- The Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes volleyball team closed out their regular season with a 3-1 win in the annual Torch Lake Trophy game against the Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Blue Bolts on Thursday. Scores were 25-21, 25-11, 21-25, and 25-16.
Lakes coach Alyssa Roose liked what she saw from her team, particularly in the second set.
"We were slamming it down in the second set," she said. "Our freshman hitter, Naevia Daniels, did a spectacular job on the left side. She gets the game ball. Otherwise, I thought we passed and controlled the floor well all night."
The two teams opened up the first with ties at nine and 10 before some poor hits by the Bolts put the Lakes up, 13-11.
Lakes server Lissa Johnson posted an ace at 15-11. Then the score moved to 22-18 with Payton Goldsworthy at the line. While she could not push her squad to 25, the Lakes maintained the lead and won the set.
As Roose noted, the second set was the Lakes' best. It was highlighted not only by Naevia Daniels kills, but by strong service runs by Goldsworthy to open, and then a run of nine by Ella Schneiderhan, to put the Lakes up 15-5.
While Lake Linden went on to score 10 more for the win, they also held the Blue Bolts to just six more points. The Lakes were now up 2-0 in the match at that point.
However, the Blue Bolts still had a charge in them as they had a come-from-behind win in set three. After ties at three, six and eight, the Lakes pulled away to lead by as many as five with kills by Daniels and Ella Corrigan, who moved the score to 17-12.
The Bolts, however, chipped away and got within three at 18-15 and then tied it at 19. They then won the sprint to 25 while holding their opponent to just 21, much to the delight of their coach Kristi Bellmore.
"We are young, but we are scrappy," she said. "We play very much as a team and do not want the ball to hit the floor. I am very proud of the effort I saw tonight."
The Blue Bolts had their backs to the wall and their work cut out for them in the fourth set, but they fell behind early and never recovered. The hometown girls seemed a little fatigued as a 7-2 lead by the Lakes morphed into a 17-12 difference. With the Lakes Ashlyn Steves on the line, the girls put the set away and took home the Torch Lake trophy.
Up next
Playoffs start next week. The Lakes ended the regular season at 8-6-3. The Blue Bolts closed their season at 9-7-1.