Leland defeated Glen Lake in a five-set comeback thriller on Tuesday. Glen Lake controlled most of the match until Leland took the fourth and fifth sets to secure the victory.
Glen Lake won the first set 25-21, but Leland responded with a 26-24 win in set two. Glen Lake regained momentum in the third set with a 25-18 victory. In the fourth set, Leland came back to win 25-23, forcing a decisive fifth set.
The stars aligned for the Comets in the fifth set as Leland jumped out to an 8-3 lead and held on for a 15-11 win.
“I’m happy about that growth. We are not outcome-focused as a team,” Leland coach Travis Baker said. “We didn’t play well all the way through, so that’s our focus. I think they gain confi dence from playing well consistently, and if we score more points, that’s fine … if not, then that’s fine, too, as long as we’re playing well all the way through.”
Leland’s defensive effort made the difference, with three players recording double-digit digs: Aubrey Rousseau (19), Kally Sluiter (14), and Abby Hicks (11).
Hicks also contributed seven kills, four aces, and nine assists, while Sluiter added eight kills and seven aces. Callie Fort had five kills and seven digs.
For Glen Lake, senior Peyton Brown had six kills, 13 digs, and four aces. Sophomore Avery Flores contributed 10 kills and three blocks.
Leland bounced back nicely after a tough tournament on Saturday, where the Comets went 1-3 with their lone win over Ravenna (2-1). They lost to Newaygo, Haslett, and Morley Stanwood. Last Thursday, Leland lost to Buckley in a hardfought match (25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 15-25, 0-15).
LL St. Mary Volleyball
Lake Leelanau St. Mary lost in the semifinals to Onekama at the Onekama Invitational on Saturday, finishing with a 2-2-2 record for the day.
In pool play, they split with Glen Lake and Hart, lost to Onekama, and defeated Grand Traverse Academy (GTA). St. Mary beat Glen Lake in the quarterfinals but fell to eventual champions Onekama in the semifinals.
Cathryn Mikowski led the Eagles with 26 kills, 45 digs, and 16 aces. Kyla Barnowski contributed 23 kills, 26 digs, 12 aces, and two blocks. Maggie Ursu added 13 kills and 26 digs, while Lydia Bramer had three kills, seven digs, and 63 assists. Madelyn Hamilton contributed six kills, and Daisy Serrano added 16 digs.
The Eagles continued their strong start to the season with a signature comeback win over previously undefeated McBain NMC (9-1) on Wednesday. St. Mary dropped the first two sets 15-25 and 22-25 but rallied to win the next three, securing the victory with scores of 25-13, 25-11, and 16-14.
Stats: Barnowski (14 kills, 8 digs, 3 aces, 2 assists); Mikowski (9 kills, 21 digs); Ursu (6 kills, 10 digs); Bramer (3 kills, 9 digs, 24 assists); Mackenzie Schaub (3 aces, 1 kill).
Suttons Bay Volleyball
Suttons Bay has been steadily improving, earning a comeback victory over Frankfort and a win against Benzie last week.
Last Thursday, the Norse found themselves in a tight match against Frankfort, losing the first set 16-25. Suttons Bay responded by winning the next two sets 25-18 and 23-25, taking a 2-1 series lead. Frankfort bounced back to win the fourth set 25-15, forcing a fifth set. Suttons Bay prevailed in a thrilling final set, winning 15-13.
Junior Megan U’Ren led Suttons Bay with 13 kills and two aces, while sophomore Ava Anderson contributed 15 kills. Ann Porter and Ella Ingwerson combined for seven kills and six aces, and senior Bekka Gran had 51 digs and six assists in the win.
The Norse carried that momentum into Tuesday’s match against Benzie, winning in three sets (25-12, 25-14, 25-15).
