MONTAGUE — The tenacity was there for both sides Tuesday when Whitehall and Montague faced off, but the Wildcats were the team that delivered the big plays when they mattered, and they got to celebrate a 18-25, 25-15, 25-22, 25-20 win in a rivalry match.
Both squads have struggled in the win-loss column, but they brought the energy to Tuesday's showdown. Whitehall pulled away after a 13-13 tie in game one to get the win, but the Wildcats (5-18-5, 2-2 West Michigan Conference Lakes), as coach Gretchen Schneider said they often do, adjusted, and they had early leads in each of the remaining three games.
"That first set is pretty notorious for us," Schneider said. "We like to see how the other team plays first, and then we make some adjustments and go from there. Usually it's just mental adjustments. They just have to see how that other team is going to play, even though we saw the film this last week. They really don't know until they get out there and test the water."
Annelyse Schneider and Hallie VanTuyl delivered big plays on offense in game two as the Wildcats cruised to the win, but game three was a coin flip. After falling behind 10-5, Whitehall battled back to keep it close and had it within a point late, 23-22, before a service error stifled its momentum and enabled the 'Cats to move ahead two games to one.
Montague broke open a close game four to take a 12-6 lead and built an advantage as big as 10 points before the Vikings made a late push that fell short.
Schneider said the Wildcats' passing was one of the team's biggest weaknesses earlier in the season, but you wouldn't have known it Tuesday as Montague kept the ball in play well, setting up Annelyse Schneider for big kills.
"I am extremely proud of the way we passed the ball tonight," coach Schneider said. "It's a difference-maker, otherwise girls like Annelyse can't do their thing and girls like Hallie can't do their thing. Both of them hit over .300 tonight."
Schneider had 13 kills, six blocks and 18 digs, and Ava Dean totaled 26 digs along with three aces. Layla Denhof notched 33 assists, and Hallie VanTuyl had 11 digs and four aces.
Serving and serve receive are other areas coach Schneider felt the team has improved over the course of the season. The tenacity has always been there - Schneider said even in preseason scrimmages the team was holding up well against quality opponents, even when the 'Cats didn't necessarily win - but the skill is starting to come along too.
"I know they're at the cusp," Schneider said. "We just need to find the wins like we did tonight. They really need to want it. It comes from inside, and all the outside skills are coming along."
Whitehall (2-16-1, 2-3 WMC Lakes), meanwhile, has been figuring things out after losing hitter Kailyn Skuse to a season-ending injury. Vikings' coach Claire McGrew said the team hasn't really stuck to any one lineup, which in a way offers unpredictability to an opponent, but also does keep the team from getting used to an alignment.
"At the end of the day, our system has to get a little bit more consistent for districts," McGrew said.
What the Vikings did do Tuesday was play as aggressively, McGrew said, as she's seen them. The team does not have a stat keeper at the moment, but McGrew noted Clare Westerlund's strong play at the net on defense, Delaney Kramer's ability to get the Vikings some points, and Aaliyah Jamison's hustle as key positives from the match. All three are seniors.
The win-loss record might not be sparkling, and some untimely errors certainly hurt the Vikings' chances to gather momentum, but McGrew sees her team's improvement and hopes it can put it all together for the postseason. It's tough to lose a rivalry match, but it can also provide an extra dose of motivation.
"We're slow growers each season," McGrew said. "Hopefully (we'll see it) in the postseason. We're playing our best volleyball right now. I see good things.
"They feel this one, for sure. I let them feel it tonight. Tomorrow, we're going to be back to work."
