Cardinals have busy week, improve to 2-0 in conference play
by Angie Asam-Staff Writer
The Onaway Cardinals varsity volleyball team had a very busy week with a tournament Saturday and away matches both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
Wednesday the Cardinals traveled to Cheboygan to take on the Chiefs for the fourth time this season. Onaway won the first game 25-19 before dropping game two 23-25. Onaway fell in game three 10-25 but came back to battle in the fourth game before eventually losing 25-27. “Other than the third game we competed very well with them. We fought tooth and nail in the fourth game. The reality is if they are more our height we win, their height allows them to get to some things,” said coach Steve Watson.
“Elise Arkwood had a great game. It was probably the best game I have ever seen her play. It might not show in the stats as she had six kills and 18 digs. It seemed like she had 40 digs, she was just everywhere on the court,” said coach Watson.
Lexi Szymoniak had 19 kills and 19 digs. Taylor Ehrke had two kills, 28 set assists and 12 digs. Ashley LaLonde added 19 digs while Jade Galer had 13. Morganne Badgero had three kills and seven digs.
TUESDAY EVENING the Cardinals traveled to Inland Lakes to take on the Bulldogs. The Cardinals swept them in three straight 25-10, 52-15 and 25-18 to improve to 2-0 in the Ski Valley Conference. Szymoniak had 11 kills and three digs while Arkwood had five kill on 10 attacks. Ehrke had three kills, 22 set assists, six aces and four digs. LaLonde had four digs. Alison LaFave had seven kills and one dig and did a nice job on the net according to coach Watson.
SATURDAY AT the nine-team Petoskey Invitational the Cardinals reached the semifinals before falling to Cheboygan 25-13, 17-25 and 11-15. The Cardinals started the day defeating Boyne City 25-18 and 25-10 before splitting with Leland 25-20 and 18-25. They then defeated
Szymoniak had 50 kills, 10 aces and 65 digs on the day. Ehrke added 14 kills, 73 set assists, three aces and 31 digs. Arkwood had 16 kills, seven aces and 30 digs and LaFave had 13 kills and 11 digs.
“There wasn’t really a dominant team at the tournament and we had a chance to win it,” said coach Watson.
The Cardinals have the first home match of the season Tuesday when Forest Area comes to town with the junior varsity match beginning at 6 p.m.