GARDEN CORNERS — The Cougars proved superior to Black Bears Thursday as the Superior Central volleyball team earned a straight set, road victory (25-14, 25-18, 25-20) over Big Bay de Noc.

“I was really proud of the effort the girls put forth tonight,” Black Bears coach Angie Paulson said. “We had a lot more energy than we had during our first game against Mid Pen. It took them a few sets to get into full swing, but they got there in the third set. We had some miscommunication issues and some missed serves, but if we can overcome that and keep our energy high, we have a lot to look forward to.”

Alix Bleau led the Black Bears with seven kills, nine digs and seven assists. Ellie Nedeau finished with seven digs and 15 assists, and Piper Jones notched an ace, 13 digs, four blocks and 13 assists. Katelyn DeKeyser also collected three kills, 10 digs, nine assists and two blocks.

“Superior Central has some strong hitters and servers, and I thought the girls did a good job adjusting to those, hustling to some of the tough bumps and sending them over the net,” Paulson said. “Piper was rocking it tonight. She was hustling, had some beautiful backsets and even had some blocks at the net. I’m excited to continue to watch her grow in this game. Overall, I’m proud of the overall effort tonight.”

Big Bay visits Maplewood Baptist Tuesday.