Gladstone junior Addy Blowers (1) attempts to get the ball over the leaping hands of Escanaba senior Grayson LaMarche (22) and Foreign Exchange Student Bet Montal during a Great Northern Conference match on Sept. 12, 2024 at Gladstone High School. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

GLADSTONE –Trailing 14-13 in set four, Escanaba senior Katey Lamb stepped to the service line.

Escanaba captured the first two sets from Gladstone, but the Braves captured set three and appeared to have momentum in set four, eying a possible deciding fifth set.

Then Lamb mustered a five-point service run, putting the Eskymos ahead for good to earn a 25-23, 25-19, 16-25, 25-18 road win over the Braves.

“It was really good,” Lamb said. “We knew it was going to be a big game. Everyone came out and played. It was a fun game.”

Lamb’s service run put the Eskkymos ahead 18-14 in the fourth frame before an attack error from senior Grayson LaMarche ended the run. Gladstone’s momentum was short lived as the Eskymos captured seven of the next 11 points to win the fourth and final set behind a 12-4 run.

“We have a fantastic team. They’re all really good players,” Esky coach Beverly Ziebell said. “I kind of pick and choose with the teams that we are playing, and I plan accordingly. That’s just how good we are; that I can pick and choose who I play at this point.”

The Braves appeared to have momentum early.

With the energy of their home gym sky high, the Braves captured nine of the frame’s first 10 points to sit firmly in the driver’s seat. The Eskymos responded by taking 17 of the frame’s next 22 points to take an 18-14 lead and force the Braves to burn a timeout. The Braves battled, but Esky never surrendered its lead to capture the first set and take a 1-0 match lead.

After four ties and a pair of lead changes, the Eskymos saw contributions from multiple players. Sophomore Brooklyn Beauchamp came away with three kills and an ace. Foreign Exchange Student Bet Montal added a block and a kill in her first taste of action in Delta County’s fiercest rivalry. LaMarche and Lamb each added a kill.

The Eskymos never trailed after tying the set at 5-5 to take a commanding 2-0 match lead after four-straight Gladstone miscues ended the frame.

But as the second set came to a close, Esky’s student section came up with a new chant, and it was pointed at Braves junior Lillie Johnson.

“Overrated (clap clap clap clap clap)” began to consume Gladstone’s gymnasium. The chants didn’t last long as Johnson came away with three kills as Gladstone opened a 9-4 lead after falling behind 3-0. The Braves never trailed again in set three thanks to three-straight aces from senior Adie Tryan and won the set thanks to a kill from senior Claire Roeske which served as the final point of the frame.

Harlee Coolman finished with 10 digs, four aces and two kills. Braun tallied 13 assists and eight digs. Lamb tallied 10 kills, three aces and three digs. Sophie Lehto added an ace. Lily Nelson has a dig and a kill. Landry Bray finished with three kills. Susie Moberg produced three blocks and two kills. Mary Kate Tourangeau added 12 assists, two digs and an ace. Beauchamp tallied three kills and two digs. Montal finished with seven kills, three blocks and a dig. Breleigh Reinhart added three digs and a kill. LaMarche churned six kills, three blocks and three digs. Ava Stalboerger added three blocks, a dig, an ace and a kill.

Gladstone’s stats were not available at the time of publication.

The Braves host The Rock tournament starting at 9 a.m. Saturday. Esky trips to face Negaunee at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.