Cards stung by Hornets in regional volleyball finals

by Richard Lamb– Outlook Publisher

Onaway?s stellar volleyball season came to an end at the hands of perennial power Pellston Saturday at the regional finals. The Cardinals (25-9-13) literally flew into the Hornet?s nest, coming away with a 3-0 loss in three hotly contested games. Pellston won 27-25, 26-24, and 25-19 to claim the regional title at their home court, but the close games showed how far the Cardinal program has come in recent seasons, as they were able to put a scare into the Pellston faithful. ?I?m really proud of the effort the girls put out today. They played really well,? said coach Steve Watson after the match.

The teams played nearly equally on the court in the first two games, with a fired up Pellston crowd cheering on their home team. Great support from a student section costumed in bee outfits made it a loud place to play. ?A year or two ago, the girls might have been phased by that. They might have been looking up into the crowd, but I didn?t see too many glances up there. I?m not saying (the crowd) won the game, but when you get districts and regionals in your home gym, there has got to be a little advantage there,? Watson said.

ONAWAY DEFEATED Cedarville in the first round of regional play, 25-12, 25-23, 25-19 while Pellston stopped Hillman in three straight games to set up the regional finals between the Cards and the Hornets. Game one of the regional finals turned out to be a marathon, 40-minute game featuring two teams intent on winning. Pellston built a 4-1 lead in the early going before the Cards came back. Junior middle hitter Danielle Cleaver blasted a kill, and then two Hornet errors brought the score to 14-13, Pellston before NcNitt called a timeout. Trailing 19-14, Onaway rallied for four straight points, behind an ace by Allie Nave and two kills from sophomore middle hitter Amanda Pomranke. The score was tied at 20, 21, and 24 before a kill by Cleaver, off a set from Megan Murphy gave Onaway a 25-24 lead. Pellston responded with the next three points to stave off game point. In game two the Cards fell behind 11-4 before Watson called timeout. A six-point run, keyed by a deft tip by Murphy down the right sideline, and a block by Murphy for point number 11, made the score 14-12, Pellston.

Pellston scored four points to build the lead to 20-14, before Watson stopped the momentum by calling another time out. The Cards benefited by four Hornet errors, and a Cleaver kill, to tie the score at 20-20.

AFTER THE LEAD changed hands two more times, the Cards faced another game point at 24-23 when Pellston senior left hitter Kasi Fyke blasted a kill down the middle. Card senior left hitter Christine Pomranke answered with a kill of her own to tie the score at 24-24. An error and an ace serve earned the Hornets the next two points, and the win to go up two games to none in the best of five match. Facing elimination, Onaway fell behind 7-1, but an ace by Cleaver made the score 12-9 before Pellston went on a 5-0 run. Onaway closed to 21-16, after Murphy?s ace, and Cleaver nailed an ace to make the score 22-19. That would be all for the game, and the season, as Pellston earned the next three points, and a berth in the state quarterfinals.

PELLSTON IS the benchmark of the Ski Valley Conference, and getting by them has been a goal for his team, Watson said. ?I will not stop until we can beat them. They are good and we can play right with them. When I took over the program four years ago, we were somewhat is disarray. Teams came into our gym and they knew it was an automatic ?W?. Now, we are a state ranked team, just about won our conference, and played for the regional championship,? Watson said. The coach said his girls have it in them to climb to even greater achievements, while praising the success of the Pellston program.

?For Pellston, v

olleyball is their thing and it has been for years. If you look up at their rafters, they have a lot of district and conference championships. My girls?they are all transplanted basketball players, or all but two of them. I think it says a lot about my girls that they can be focused on basketball and then when my coaches get a hold of them, they are willing to give to us what we need. They are athletes and they are competitors, whether it is volleyball, basketball or track, they want to win and they are not scared of anything,? Watson said. The respect is mutual, as the Pellston coach said Onaway is a tough opponent.

?A COUPLE OF teams showed up ready to play this afternoon. The key was winning that first game. That was big,? said Pellston coach Tim McNitt, in his 12th year as coach of the Hornets. NcNitt complimented the Onaway program for a competitive match. ?The thing they bring to the court is tremendous scrappiness and defense. They hustle after every ball and don?t give up on the play. Teams like that are scary to play,? McNitt said. Pellston was eliminated Tuesday by Crystal Falls Forest Park in the state quarterfinals. The Cards lose seniors Christine Pomranke and Megan Murphy, but look forward to returning the rest of the team for next season.