By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (September 28, 2024) – One thing you can’t teach in volleyball is height, and after Hilltop and Evergreen battled for four sets like it was a district final match, the Cadets’ twin towers of 6’3″ Libbie Baker and 6′ Brynn Rodriguez, took over the fifth set in a 22-25, 25-10, 25-19, 21-25, 15-6 win.
The Cadets are now in the midst of an 11-match victory streak and are 16-2 on the season.
Lissa Roesti’s back-to-back aces staked the Vikes to an early first set lead and kills from Addie Ricker, Lanae Manz and TJ Johnson boosted their lead to 9-5.
Rodriguez’s tip and blast from the left side knotted the score at 9-9 but Manz, Maddy Brehmer and Bailey Lumbrezer countered to get the Vikings back on top 17-12.
Baker from the middle, Baker from the right and Baker from the back row brought the Cadets from a five-point deficit to even at 20s.
Manz put Evergreen back up with a cross-court corner shot, then got the Vikes to set point with a kill from the back before Ricker put the set away with a middle tip.
Baker led an early charge in the second set with three kills around Brooklyn Kuszmaul’s ace, including an emphatic slam back of a Viking attack at the net for a 5-1 lead.
Hayden JoHantgen’s ace and a pair of Rodriguez kills maintained an 11-6 margin before the Cadets blew the set wide open.
A trio of Eleana VanArsdalen aces fueled a seven-point run that widened the gap to 18-7, and Baker finished the set with three more serving aces and a redirect at the net.
The third set went back and forth with a number of lead changes until Manz’ went cross court, Brehmer scored an ace and Lumbrezer tacked on a left side kill to give Evergreen a 12-10 lead.
Baker answered with scores from the middle and left, and VanArsdalen nailed two more aces to push Hilltop up 17-14.
Brehmer’s punch that hit the wood got Evergreen within a point at 19-18 but Baker took over with three straight points to end the set.
Hilltop opened the fourth with a 4-0 burst led by VanArsdalen’s two aces. Evergreen caught up on Manz’ stuff at the net for a 5-4 Viking advantage.
Baker’s middle kill put the Cadets in front at 6-5 but the Vikings got some distance when diminutive Bria Matney stuck three aces around a Johnson kill to give Evergreen a 10-6 bulge.
Brehmer’s ace extended the Vikes lead to 18-12 but Baker’s three straight at the net closed the gap to 18-16.
Beth Sintobin got the momentum back on the Vikings side with a big-time solo block and a middle shot to make it 24-20 with Ricker doing the set ending honors with a slam back. The fifth set was all Hilltop.
VanArsdalen put down three aces and Baker added two more scores from the middle to give Hilltop a 7-1 lead. Two Baker redirects around Kelsie Connolly’s kill made it 11-2.
Evergreen tried to get back in as Manz recorded a trio of kills, but Rodriguez responded with a jam of a Viking attack, then a left side kill and a score from the middle to end the match.
Hilltop hosts Holgate Tuesday, then travels to Pettisville Thursday for a big BBC match. Evergreen hosts Bryan Monday and Ottawa Hills Thursday.