South Lyon East advances to district final with sweep of feisty Canton
South Lyon East senior Allison Williams takes a swing against Canton’s middle blockers.
For the second consecutive season, South Lyon East advanced to the MHSAA District 21 championship match against Northville after ousting underdog Canton, 25-20, 25-9, 25-14, Wednesday night at Novi High School.
The Cougars will look to redeem last year’s three-set setback to the Mustangs at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at Novi.
South Lyon East carried a significant height advantage into Wednesday match, which led to several momentum-building blocks.
(To check out video highlights from Wednesday’s match, click here.)
Babinski, Williams rule the net
Inflicting the most damage to the smaller-but-always-hustling Cobras were front-row stars Gabby Babinski and Addison Williams. The 6-foot-1 Babinski led the winners with double-digit kills while the 6-2 Williams notched seven blocks to frustrate Canton’s attack.
Playing with a revved-up spirit, the Cobras mounted periodic comebacks led by senior Ava Churnesky and junior Abigail Valenzuela, both of whom used their better-than-average hops to defy the Cougars’ height.
SLE was bolstered by a strong serving game, which was fueled by Addison Stepp’s multiple aces.
Cobras’ Jasman was stellar
Canton libero Alyssa Jasman closed out her high school career with a stellar effort, making the Cougars work for extra hard for several points.
A victory against Northville Thursday night would advance the Cougars into next week’s regional match against likely foe Farmington Hills Mercy, which entered the post-season as the state’s No. 1 team.
The regional is set for Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at Northville High School.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4647 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
