SMCC Volleyball Survives Four Match Points to Beat Flat Rock in Huron League Showdown
The short version
- SMCC saved four match points in the fourth set and beat Flat Rock 26-24, 15-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-9 in a Huron League first-place matchup.
- Sarah Giroux led Flat Rock with 34 kills and 28 digs; Zoe Ryan added 53 assists.
- Airport and Jefferson also picked up volleyball wins over Riverview and Grosse Ile respectively.
St. Mary Catholic Central erased a 24-20 fourth-set deficit to hand Flat Rock a five-set loss in a battle for first place in the Huron League.
St. Mary Catholic Central pulled off a dramatic comeback on Wednesday, Sept. 23, defeating Flat Rock 26-24, 15-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-9 in a matchup with first place in the Huron League volleyball standings on the line.
The Kestrels trailed two sets to one and faced a 24-20 deficit in the fourth set, with Flat Rock holding four chances to close out the match. SMCC coach Kim Windham called timeout and told her players to focus on one point at a time and keep their composure. The Kestrels responded by winning the set 26-24, then pulled away early in the fifth.
SMCC built a 7-2 lead in the decisive set behind kills from Avery Yeager, a tandem block with Alexa Turner, and aces from Reese Foster and Avery Gramlich. Claire Ryan added three kills, Allie Ruhlig had two, and Turner served an ace down the stretch.
Flat Rock coach Morgan Delhey said her team knew it was in for a challenge but could not afford to give away points at the end of the fourth set. Flat Rock, now 12-4-1, returned most of its key players from last season's Division 2 state runner-up squad. Sarah Giroux led the Rams with 34 kills and 28 digs, Lily Klein had 22 kills, 29 digs and 4 blocks, and Zoe Ryan finished with 53 assists, 15 digs and 3 blocks.
The match was tight throughout, with the third set tied 10 times and the fourth tied 11 times. SMCC, which reached the Division 3 state semifinals last year before heavy graduation losses, held its poise to take the league showdown.
Elsewhere in Monroe County, Jefferson beat Grosse Ile 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-19 behind Jaylyn Vanslambrouck's 14 kills and 8 service points. Airport edged Riverview 23-25, 26-24, 25-16, 21-25, 16-14, with Darby Philbeck posting 42 assists and 3 aces and Mya Stahr adding a season-high 18 kills, 24 digs and 5 aces.
In boys soccer, Flat Rock fell 6-1 to Trenton. Cristobal Zamarron scored the Rams' goal off an assist from Theo Meyer, and Collin Linder made 18 saves.
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