SPRING LAKE – The Whitehall volleyball team has a different role in district tournament play this year.
Last season the Vikings were the definite underdogs without injured star Rayne Thompson, but managed to shock powerful Montague in the finals and win an unexpected title.
This season Thompson is back, the Vikings have been rolling, and they entered the Division 2 districts at Spring Lake High School as the definite favorite to repeat.
So far they are living up to that billing, following an impressive 3-1 victory over host Spring Lake on Wednesday in the district semifinals.
[1]The Vikings won the first set and lost the second, then recovered their composure to capture the third and fourth sets and the match.
Thompson was in prime form, leading Whitehall with 26 kills, while Charlie Klint added 20.
The set scores were 25-19, 24-26, 25-14 and 25-17.
Whitehall, now 32-6-1 on the season, will play Fruitport in the district final on Thursday at Spring Lake at 6 p.m. The Vikings beat the Trojans in their only prior matchup this season.
“We played great,” said Whitehall coach Ted Edsall. “Our kids hung in there and were poised. These kids showed their experience and felt good about themselves and their abilities.
[2]“My conversation with the team was that if we play at the level that we have been playing at, I think that we are going to win. I think we passed and served well.”
The opening set was tight early on with the score tied at 6-6, before the Vikings came alive with a 7-0 run to take a 13-6 lead on a long serving run by Ryleigh Mott.
The Lakers managed to cut their deficit to three points with a 13-9 run, leaving Whitehall clinging to a 22-19 lead. But the Vikings responded by scoring the last three points, including a block by Sidney Shepherd to put the set on ice.
Spring Lake jumped out to a 12-8 lead in the very tight second set with a long service run by freshman Rylee Sabo and several kills at the net by Kalli Lewkowski.
The Vikings managed to knot the score at 15-15, which was one of five different ties that led to a 24-24 deadlock late in the set.
Spring Lake scored the final two points to take the set and even the match at 1-1.
[3]The third set was close early on, with the score tied 10-10. Whitehall finally took control with a 4-0 spurt sparked by a service run by Shephard. The Vikings closed out the set with an 11-4 run, which included several service points by Mott and strong play at the net by Klint.
The Vikings broke an early 3-3 tie in the fourth set and never relinquished their lead, The Lakers cut their deficit to 11-10, but Whitehall responded with a 12-5 run to take a 22-16 lead. They Vikings closed the set and the match by scoring three of the final four points.
Maggie Evans set up the Whitehall offense with 50 assists. Mott led the defense with 20 digs while Thompson added 15.
“They always have a dominant player in the front row,” said Spring Lake coach Cassidy Hazekamp about the Vikings. “We were unable to put up a solid block against them and unable to play defense. We also made a few more errors than we normally do.”
The Lakers, who finished their season with a 13-26 record, were led by Lewkowski with 12 kills, Kyla Kobylak with 26 assists and Kendra Kieft with 11 digs.
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