NERVES OF STEEL: Clutch Mustangs orchestrate 2nd straight epic rally

If you’ve never heard of a volleyball reverse sweep (one team loses the first two sets and wins the final three), don’t feel bad.

They’re almost as rare as unicorns.

In fact, Northville Head Coach Sarah Lindstrom had never experienced a reverse sweep in her illustrious high school volleyball coaching career until last week’s MHSAA District semifinal match against Canton.

After this week’s two-match D1 Regional, Lindstrom has now coached in three reverse sweeps — all wins.

“And I hope tonight was the last one,” she quipped, smiling, following the Mustangs’ tension-packed 3-2 Regional final win over Okemos. “They’re taking years off my life.”

Making memories

Oh, but the stories her and her team of adversity-embracing stars will be able to tell their grandkids decades down the road.

For the fifth time in Lindstrom’s six years at the helm at Northville, the Mustangs are headed to the Division 1 quarterfinals Tuesday at Ypsilanti Lincoln High School.

They will play perennially tough Temperance Bedford, which for its own good, had better not win the first two sets against Northville (wink, wink), given the Stangs’ recent history.

A victory over the Kicking Mules would send Northville to the Final Four in Battle Creek.

The way the Mustangs are jelling, they’d have a snap, crackle and popping chance to doing something special in the Cereal City.

Fun group to coach

During fifth-set crunch-time Thursday night — and throughout this magical season for Northville — the Mustang players have been a joy to coach, Lindstrom emphasized.

“When I’m speaking (during timeouts), these 18 girls are staring into my soul,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what I’m saying, they’re going to believe me. They’d run through a brickwall for me — and that’s made me believe in them. It’s like a cycle of belief.”

There were so many stars for Northville against Okemos, Lindstrom said she couldn’t pick out one as the MVP.

But when asked, she did rave about the play of sophomore libero Hadley Conrad, who was digging up blazing hits with regularity.

Romeo leads like a Shakespearean captain

Lindstrom also had high praise for senior captain Charley Romeo, who has stepped into the spotlight this season with uncanny leadership.

“Hadley came into the season as probably our third-ranked DS (defensive specialist), playing behind our two girls who are now hurt (Gabby Lavoie and Kaia Bednarz),” Lindstrom said. “In the beginning of the season, I think she was just happy to be on the team. It’s been a joy watching her grow this season.

“Hadley’s always been really good, but she didn’t realize it. I think she knows it now; I hope she knows it now. She’s been great.

“I can’t say enough good things about Charley. She was a role player during our state-championship season and she was a role player last year. She has carried this team with her poise and leadership. S

“Charley is an extraordinary leader. She leads by example. She’s the type of young lady who does the dishes at team dinners and makes sure all the volleyballs are collected after practice.”

So young, so good

Northville received huge contributions from freshmen Addalyn Moore and Alana Klisz, especially when the Mustangs flipped the script on the Wolves throughout the final three sets.

And setter Lila Samhat did an exceptional job of putting the ball in her hitters’ kill zone.

Leading up to the match-ending block by Klisz, senior Allyson Leutheuser — with Okemos leading 9-8 in the fifth — hammered multiple aces from the service line to carry the team to the threshold of their third reverse sweep in two weeks.

Even a unicorn would be impressed by those comebacks.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.