Clare volleyball plays well in road win over Ogemaw

By BEN MURPHY

Cleaver Sportswriter

The first two sets were pretty close between Clare and Ogemaw Heights on Monday, Sept. 23. The Lady Pioneers won both of those however and then took care of things rather convincingly in the third frame, and they swept the host Lady Falcons in Jack Pine Conference volleyball action, 25-23, 27-25 and 25-10.

“As a team, we achieved our goal of serving over 90-percent,” head coach Shannon Taylor, who also called it an important victory said. “Our aggressive and precise serving played a major role in our success. We were dominant at the net, and our serve reception was excellent, which allowed us to execute our offense smoothly.”

Amelia Ryzyk had a solid match playing setter; she had 23 assists, two kills, four blocks and two digs. Addie McMillan tracked down 12 digs, served for three aces and also had two assists. Tessa Kelly managed 13 kills and six digs. Kyley Wyman added six kills, one block, 13 digs and three aces and Marlee Clark had five kills and four blocks. Addison McMillan had 17 digs and two aces and Syerra Mills chipped in with six kills.

“Taryn Green had an impressive serving streak, delivering powerful serves that included three important aces,” Taylor said.

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Clare had a home JPC win over Standish-Sterling, taking four sets to do it, 25-12, 25-17, 22-25 and 25-23.

“Homecoming is a busy week with so much going on, so we were excited to secure two wins this week,” Taylor said. “We lost a little momentum and dropped the third set. We came back and finished with a (win in the fourth) to end the match.”

Kelly led the attack with 19 kills and she had nine digs and served for three aces as well. Ryzyk continued her steady play at setter, getting 39 assists.  Clark added eight kills and one ace, McMillan was able to chase down 17 digs and serve for two aces and Wyman and Mills had six kills apiece.

“The team is made up of leaders who each have their own unique style,” Taylor said. “They focus on supporting one another, ensuring accountability, and engaging in difficult discussions to enhance the team's overall success. Our senior members are doing an excellent job of guiding others in leadership.”

The Pioneers have a sub-500 overall record with seven wins and 11 losses, but for Taylor, that was kind of by design.

“We loaded our preseason schedule with challenging opponents to prepare for JPC play, leading to some tough but narrow defeats,” she said. “The team is really bonding and putting in a lot of effort, feeling excited about what lies ahead. They understand that it will take more and are striving to improve by 1-percent each day in all aspects.”

The wins over Ogemaw and Standish put their league record to 2-1, leaving much to play for in the coming weeks for the team.

“They are in a great position to achieve the success they desire,” Taylor said. “This is going to be an exciting journey. We hope the team can enjoy every moment for the rest of the season. We want them to inspire one another and, at the end of each day, to realize they have made a positive difference for the team and everyone they meet.”

Clare was at home against league-foe Bullock Creek on Wednesday, makes the trip to Cadillac for a non-league match on Monday and welcomes in Gladwin for more JPC action on Wednesday, Oct. 9.