Onaway netters begin postseason play Wednesday at Posen
The Onaway High School varsity volleyball team set two major goals for itself coming into the 2012 season. Goal one was to win the first Ski Valley Conference title in the program’s history.
The Cardinals went unbeaten in the SVC, knocking off perennial power Pellston along the way, to accomplish that goal and turn their attention to goal number two: advancing beyond the regional round of the postseason for the first time.
OHS will attempt the first step toward goal two when they open district play on Wednesday in Posen. The Cards will play either Rogers City or Hillman in a district semifinal that evening, with the winner advancing to Thursday’s final.
Onaway will be the strong favorite to win the district title, with an overall record of 43-4-3 and a ranking of fifth in the latest Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association Class D poll.
Though being such a heavy favorite can sometimes provide added pressure to a team, Cardinal coach Steve Watson said his players welcome such pressure and have thrived on it all season.
“These girls don’t mind being the team to beat,” Watson said. “They accept the challenge and don’t shy away from that. They want to prove that they’re worthy of their ranking. They want to prove it every match.”
Onaway wrapped up its regular season Wednesday when it swept visiting Posen and Rogers City to win its second consecutive Presque Isle County Championships.
The Cards knocked off Posen, 25-6, 25-5, and 15-10 before defeating Rogers City, 25-15, 25-16, and 12-15. Watson had several junior varsity players up for the matches and everyone saw significant minutes.
Mariah Ehrke was the star of the evening, recording 15 kills, three blocks, 19 digs, and two aces. The junior now has 335 kills on the season, a new OHS record, eclipsing the former mark of 326 set three years ago by Amanda Pomranke.
Megan Estep had 37 assists, 11 kills, six digs, and three aces, Devin Brsitley had 13 kills, 12 digs, and five aces, Sara Fullerton had six kills, nine digs, and eight aces, Lexi Szymoniak had six kills and 17 digs, and Emily Estep had 14 digs.
Two days earlier, the Cardinals swept a home match with visiting Cedarville, winning 25-2, 25-13, and 25-8.
Szymoniak had 10 kills and nine digs, Ehrke had seven kills and four digs, Fullerton had
Earlier in the evening, the OHS junior varsity completed an outstanding season with a 25-13, 25-20 victory over its Cedarville counterpart. The win gave the Cardinals a final record of 32-6-4.
Ashley LaLonde had two kills, five digs, and two aces, Elise Arkwood had seven kills and two aces, Morganne Badgero had three kills, nine digs, and four aces, Roxanne Kortman had two kills and a block, and Shyanne Corey had six assists.