BLOCK PARTY: Talented Northville prevails over up-and-coming Rocks
A pair of Mustangs deny a Salem offensive threat Tuesday night.
It doesn’t take Artificial Intelligence to figure out Northville’s volleyball team is a persistently precise bump-set-spike machine.
Simply observing Tuesday night’s 3-0 rarely-a-doubt-about-the-outcome victory over a young-ish and improving Salem team was proof enough of the Mustangs’ dominance.
The No. 3-ranked team in Division 1 according to the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association, Northville took care of host Salem in short order, winning 25-10, 25-14 and 25-17.
Salem was coming off an impressive sweep of cross-campus rival Canton on Thursday.
Unblemished dominance
The Mustangs have not lost a set in their six Kensington Lakes Activities Association matches this season. They’re 5-0 in the KLAA West and blanked Belleville in an early-season conference cross-over match.
(To check out video highlights from Tuesday’s match, click here.)
Good luck to upcoming opposing coaches who are trying to find a weakness in the Mustangs’ line-up, which was powered Tuesday by the strong swinging of Mallory Reck, Skylar Marteen, Molly Reck and Kaylyn Tuck; next-level setting by Miss Volleyball candidate Ella Craggs; middle blocking from Brooke Feller; and floor-sweeping defense from Gabby Lavoie and Giselle Burlingame.
Perfection personified
Time and again, the Rocks discovered you can execute a perfect offensive possession and still come up empty against the Mustangs, who cover their side of the court like wall-to-wall vinyl plank flooring.
Despite the best efforts of Salem stars Elizabeth Nordstrom, Ashriya Sunkara, Sofia Mefford and Delaney Fillman, the Mustangs galloped to a resounding 17-4 lead in the opening set before winning 25-10.
Set No. 2 was close for a while as a kill by Salem’s Tamari Wheatley knotted the score at 9-9. However, two speed-of-sound kills by Molly Reck sandwiched around a double block by Tuck and Craggs put the visitors in front for good, 12-9.
Craggs followed with back-to-back aces to add some orange icing to the momentum-shifting run that would lead to a 25-14 win.
The Rocks jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead in set No. 3 thanks to kills from Sunkara and Nordstrom and an ace by Mia Nunez, but Northville netted eight of the next nine points to take charge.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
Elle Chenoweth hammers home a point.
