Hart pulled off a remarkable upset victory over West Michigan Conference Lakes co-champion Ludington Wednesday night, 26-24, 19-25, 22-25, 27-25, 15-13, to advance to Friday’s district finals against Reed City.
It was not the Pirates’ finest hitting night, as the team hit .031, but gritty, gutsy defense and efficient serving - Hart missed only four serves all night - were the difference.
“The girls played great defense tonight and kept us in every set,” Hart coach Shawn Bectel said. “Ludington was a great team and it was a hard-fought match, but we had a great overall team effort to carry us through.”
Alayna Schiller led the team with 43 of the Pirates’ remarkable 134 total digs. Reese Smith added 23 digs and paced the offense with 16 kills. Grace Tucker and Cali Eisenlohr combined for 38 assists. Jenna Babbin and Braelynn Talmadge each notched a pair of blocks.
