Loading ...
By Jack Weaver ’15 | Staff Writer
On Tuesday, November 18, the varsity volleyball team’s historic run would come to an abrupt end, after getting swept 3-0 by Bedford. A sweep however, is an overstatement of how the team truly finished their streak in the playoffs.
While top ranked Grosse Pointe North sat out the first round of districts on a bye, South would face off against their first competitor Detroit East English. In a convincing 3-0 sweep, in which South outscored East English 75-12, it’d be nothing more than an early tune up for the girls.
Next they’d cruise by East Detroit with more ease, sweeping them in three quick sets. Focus was then immediately focused on the much anticipated North vs. South District Finals matchup.
With large crowds piling into the bleachers at North, student sections buzzing and a district title on the line, the intensity and pressure were high. In a tightly contested first set, North’s strong up front shot blockers would be pivotal in winning the set for them 25-22. Towards the end of the second set, it appeared to be the same story, yet South battled back tying the set at 25-25. Back and forth scoring in the tiebreaker, would finally end as South clinched a crucial second set victory 29-27.
“It was good for us to go up against the wall in that second game, because we really had to dig deep and find our shots,” head coach Ryan Tisler said. “I thought that because we got to that point earlier in the match that it really helped us for every tight situation after that.”
After winning a make or break set, South and North would continue distributing back and forth momentum throughout the third and fourth sets, both coming down to the wire. In tight situations and key moments of the game, South’s teamwork and overall effort would always prevail. The ladies would go on to win both sets 25-23 and win overall 3-1, as Blue Devil fans flooded the green and yellow court.
“The North game is definitely the biggest moment of my volleyball career, because it was such a high intensity game and we had tons of fan support,” Ashley Borowicz ‘15 said. “It is a game that I will never forget.”
Although South had taken down the favorite on their home court, many players including the coach, were already focused towards winning Regionals. Considering South has never won Regionals, it appeared to be a monumental task.
“I think they’re just really focused right now,” Tisler said. “I think the practices have been good and the team has been executing really well. It’s just been a product of their focus and determination to keep going in this tournament.”
In the Regional Semi-final, South would face off against Cass Tech at a neutral location in Fraser. Over the past few years, Cass Tech’s prominent football team has quickly ended South’s playoffs with convincing victories, yet it was the other way around in this contest. The girls’ ability to serve the ball at a high rate of efficiency and teamwork throughout the game lead to a 3-0; 25-15, 25-18, 25-14.
“Our team is very close, and it’s helped a lot with our success to this point, because we’re able to trust each other and work through tough points in the game together,” Borowicz said.
South having won its last 12 out of 13 sets, would carry this momentum into the Regional Finals against a Chippewa Valley team they have already defeated twice this year. The girls had a chance at making history for South, and they would do just that.
In the first two sets, Chippewa Valley was able to keep things close up until the end, where South’s overpowering front three would be too much handle. Consistent serving and amphatic spikes lead South to their 4th sweep in five playoff matches; 25-17, 25-18, 25-15. At last, South was Regional champions for the first time in the programs history.
“This has been a special season for me in a lot of ways,” Kayli Johnson ‘16 said. “Our team has shown a lot of growth both individually and as a whole. The seniors have stepped up by playing well on the court and by being good leaders off the court.”
With eight teams left in the playoffs, South’s chances of finally capturing a state title were becoming very real. Yet their largest challenge would be waiting in the State Quarter-finals, the number one ranked team in the state, Bedford. If that wasn’t tough enough, Bedford also has home court advantage and Miss Volleyball candidate, Nicole Rightnowar.
“We’re going into an environment where they live, eat, breath volleyball, Tisler said. “They’re going to have the grandmas of the community, that don’t even have kids in the program, with Bedford shirts on. But that environment will be enough for us, we’ll obviously have our work cut out for us.”
Lexi Kohut ‘17 also knew the environment they’d be inviting, but didn’t find it to be too intimidating.
“I think it’s going to be a tough match, especially with the large crowd, but If we can keep our focus on the game and zone out the crowd, we will be okay,” Kohut said.
On Tuesday night, with the entire gym almost completely filled, South would start off on the bad end of things going down 6-1 early in the first set. Despite this setback, the girls were able to recover and tie the mules at 8-8 early in the set. According to Izzy Murphy ‘15, this isn’t out of the norm for a team that usually starts slow.
“We fight hard and don’t give up no matter what the score is,” Murphy said.
Although South was able to hang with Bedford, they could never gain an edge on a team that was feeding their Miss Volleyball candidate, and rightfully so. The girls’ would fall in the first set after coming back from an 18-11 deficit, 25-22. The second set would be the same story, as South fell behind 2-0 after losing the set 25-23. With momentum on their side, and the girls shaken, Bedford would finish the game by sweeping the Blue Devils 25-19 and advancing to the State Semi-finals.
For senior Carina Bertakis ‘15, this season was something to never be forgotten. Although they didn’t win states, they made history and overcame great obstacles, Bertakis said.
“My senior year on the team was definitely the best year,” Bertakis said. “Not only was it great getting so far in the playoffs and setting a record at South, but this years team was closer than ever. We were one big family.”
Photos by Will Boyce and Jared Brush, both ’15
