Week 4 Recap: All-Thumb Edition
Week 4 saw the beginning of conference play in the thumb area. While many teams continue with weekend tournaments, the weekday games have begun, and the season is heating up! Here is a look at who impressed most this past…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWeek 4 saw the beginning of conference play in the thumb area. While many teams continue with weekend tournaments, the weekday games have begun, and the season is heating up!
Here is a look at who impressed most this past week in the thumb of Michigan,
Harbor Beach Shoots to the Front of the GTE
Photo by Quad NHarbor Beach took control of the conference season at first serve. Against Marlette, the Pirates breezed through the conference opener, sweeping the Raiders by over 9 points each set. Senior MB Amber Pleiness was huge against Marlette. Pleiness brought in 9 kills, 3 blocks, and a stellar 10 aces to average over 7 points a set. For the Beach, the eye was on Thursday’s match against 6-time defending conference champ, Brown City. After Brown City took set 1, the next three sets were all in Harbor Beach’s control. Beach’s middle blocking duo of Pleiness and Makayla Roberts proved too much for the Devils to handle. The duo combined for 31 kills while hitting over .400. Pleiness had another superb night behind the line with 8 aces. Harbor Beach continues their march to the first conference title since 1979 on Tuesday against Ubly.
Caro Falters in League Opener
Predicted to finish atop the Greater Thumb West Conference, Caro finds themselves middle of the pack after week 1. Opening league play in Bad Axe, the Tigers dropped a tough 5-setter. The match was full of ups and downs after Caro took the opening set to a convincing 6-point margin, Bad Axe roared back the next two sets 25-17 and 25-23. Caro brought the momentum from set 3 into the fourth, topping Bad Axe 25-12. The 5th set saw the Hatchet’s defense too gritty for the Tigers, outlasting the visitors 15-12. Caro called on their pins as OH Ellie Hornbacher and OPP Kaitlyn Arebalo finished with 13 kills while OH Raegan Ball finished with 12. Arebalo posted 3 blocks and Ball had 4 aces.
Photo by Quad NThe Tigers would take the loss in stride winning their next match against Lakers in a sweep and finishing runner-up at their annual tournament. Caro went on to sweep Lakers in their home opener with Hornbacher leading in kills with 11 and MB Sheridan Dinsmore with 3 blocks. On Saturday, Caro went 5-1-1 on the day, their lone falter coming in the final game against Birch Run. Hornbacher once again led with 35 kills and 17 aces. Arebalo led in blocks with 17 and added 34 kills.
Impressive Performances
Hailey Beckrow, Sr, MB, Cass City – Beckrow had an impressive week, leading her team to a 1-1 start to conference play as well as a semifinals appearance in Ogemaw Heights on Saturday. She posted 16 kills in a sweep against Lakers, 10 against Bad Axe and 47 in Cass City’s weekend play. Beckrow hit .303 throughout the week and posted 17 blocks.
Grace Schlaud, Jr, OH, Brown City – Brown City also went 1-1 in their opening week of league play. Leading the way once again was Grace Schlaud. Schlaud continues to be the go-to option for the Green Devils on the pin. Totalling 28 kills between the two matches, against Harbor Beach she was unstoppable, hitting .737 with 14 kills.
Kyler Kolakovich, Jr, MB, Croswell-Lexington – Kolakovich had a season’s best match on Thursday. In Cros-Lex’s home and conference opener, Kyler came alive at the net. More than doubling her previous season-best of 5 kills in a match, she notched 13. On another season-best, she hit .458 throughout the match and posed 3 stuff blocks. Kolakovich helped lead her team to a 5-set victory over Imlay City to take lead in the BWAC regular-season standings.