MUSKEGON — Fresh off attaining a No. 9 ranking in Division 3 in the state polls, the Hart Pirates showed Tuesday night that they intend to stay in the top 10 with a solid showing at the Reeths-Puffer Quad, playing three much larger schools.
The Pirates (8-3-3) edged Kenowa Hills in their first match of the night, a close victory by a score of 25-22, 25-18. In match number two, Hart bounced back from a very tough game two defeat against the host Rockets to come away with the win, 25-18, 29-31, 25-23.
Perhaps exhausted after fighting to get that win, Hart was unable to complete a perfect night and fell to Allendale in its last match of the evening, 25-15, 25-21.
"We got a little gassed at the end and that's probably what cost us against Allendale, but they're a good team too," Hart coach Shawn Bectel said. "If we were to play 10 times, we'd probably split five each. The competition was good."
Hart played solid offense throughout the night, posting a .194 hitting percentage in the three matches. Reese Smith led the way, racking up 25 kills and hitting .270. Peyton Erickson was nearly as productive, hitting .222 and posting 21 kills.
Smith was a known quantity entering the season, and Bectel hasn't been surprised at Erickson's emergence, even as a freshman, due to her skill. What excited the coach, though, was that two other hitters - Braelynn Talmadge and Jenna Babbin - also got involved, with 22 and 13 kills apiece with solid hitting percentages.
"Those are my two right sides, and if they get on a roll, it opens up our offense even more," Bectel said."Reese is Reese. She's a stud. Peyton is going to be that kid, for sure. To have her court awareness as a freshman is ridiculous."
Calyn Eisenlohr and Grace Tucker combined for 85 assists.
Hart had only eight service errors all night and served 18 aces, led by six each from Smith and Alayna Schiller. On defense, Ava Johnson had seven blocks and Schiller compiled 51 digs.
The Pirates scheduled aggressively in the early season this year, anticipating a team ready for the grind. So far, they've been proven right, and the grind will continue Saturday with a trip to the Grand Haven Invitational - including a clash with 12-1 Zeeland East.
"We're putting in the work and playing the (top) teams," Bectel said. "I think we're on a good path. Hopefully we can stay healthy."
