With the postseason looming, the Bluejay volleyball team didn’t exactly light up Rhinelander in last Tuesday’s road match. Merrill pulled out the victory, but it took five games to accomplish the act against a Hodag squad that finished tied for third in the GNC.
With Wausau East coming to town for Thursday’s Senior Night match, the MHS girls needed to step up their game.
Mission accomplished.
The Bluejays swept East – the Valley champ and the #2 seed in regional – in three straight sets by tallies of 25-17, 25-18 and 25-22.
“This is the team I know they could be,” Merrill coach Kris Albrecht said. “Their enthusiasm and excitement, point-for-point, this is what we needed going into the playoffs. Tonight’s team can go places in the postseason.
“It’s very encouraging the way we played as a team. Everybody was excited. We so wanted to play well, to play up to our potential. It was Senior Night. A certain level of enthusiasm comes with realizing their season is winding down. We expect a lot out of our seniors.”
The Jays were rarely seriously challenged on the night, and Albrecht knew why.
“The girls were playing smart,” she said. “They were finding the holes and picking the Wausau East defense apart.
“Our passing went really well. Morgan (Marnholtz) was doing a terrific job of moving her feet and getting the ball up to (setter) Reegan (Byer). (Middle hitter/blocker) Aubrey Wardall had a good night.”
The Jays jumped out 15-8 in the opener, pushed it to 21-14 on a spike, ace and tip by Lauren Hojan. They closed it out with a Byer tip, Renee Sladek smash and two East errors.
Merrill trailed 5-3 and 7-5 in Game 2 before surging ahead 9-7 and all the way to 18-11 on a 7-1 run that alternated tips and spikes from Sladek and Katie Zuelsdorff. East cut it to 21-17 with a few blocks, but a Wardall spike and East mistake capped it off.
The Lumberjacks came out hot in Game 3, grabbing a quick 6-1 margin. Merrill battled back to trail by two for several points before knotting it up at 12-12. Only one two-point edge opened up all the way to 20-20, as the teams traded blows. Two Sladek tips put the Bluejays in 24-22 match-point position and another East miscue ended it.
Producing for Merrill were: Byer (5 kills, 2 aces, 22 assists, 8 d); Zuelsdorff (7 k, 18 d); Sladek (16 k, 2 ac); Marnholtz (15 d); Emily Page (12 as); Ali Zam­zow (10 d); Wardall (4 k, 4 bl); Hojan (6 k, 2 bl); and Rylee Folz (3 k, 4 d).
Chased by Hodags
The Bluejays struggled to put away Rhinelander by a 21-25, 25-8, 25-23, 23-25, 15-10 score last Tuesday.
“It was Rhinelander’s Senior Night, and they were playing flawless,” Albrecht said. “They dug up everything on defense.
“They were playing like it was the last match of their careers, while we were playing flat-footed, not talking and letting balls drop. We had to struggle every game. We weren’t even getting the breaks. Lauren turned her ankle in the first game.
“But it seemed like Rhinelander ran out of