Braves defeat Eskymos for the first time in years in volleyball action
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GLADSTONE -- The Gladstone Braves gained the upper hand early and never really gave it up in a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-21) volleyball victory over the Escanaba Eskymos here Thursday night.
Esky made a bid to get back into this Great Northern Conference match before senior Adele Ostlund's kill sealed the deal.
"This is definitely the team we wanted to be here," Braves' coach Kaitlyn Hardwick said. "The girls showed up for themselves and their school and community. It was a momentum thing. We never wanted to give that up."
A hitting error by the Eskymos enabled the Braves to gain a 9-2 advantage in the third set.
Gladstone then led 10-3 before Esky shaved its deficit to three points on a service ace by junior Abigail Derkos.
A block by junior Aubrey Mylander brought the Eskymos within 11-10 before the Braves built their lead back up to four points on a kill by junior Tiahna Reynolds.
The Braves extended their lead to 17-12 on a kill by junior Ella Bracket.
Esky, however, didn't just go away.
An ace by senior Brooklyn Beauchamp got the Eskymos within 18-17.
A two-hit violation then gave the Braves a sideout and a two-point lead.
The Eskymos were still within 20-19 following an ace by junior Mara Anderson and 21-20 on a kill by junior Sarah LeMire.
A two-hit violation by Esky then enabled Gladstone to gain a 24-21 lead, setting the stage for Ostlund's match-winner.
"We had a lot of hitting errors and scrambling around," Esky coach Bev Ziebell said. "We had a tough time with their serves and receiving serves is something we've done well with all year. Gladstone was pumped. We had a conversation with our girls during one of the time-outs and asked them, 'are they better servers than we've seen?'"
In the second set, a kill by junior Lauren Pare gave the Braves an 8-2 cushion.
A Braves' hitting miscue enabled the Eskymos to get within 9-6.
Gladstone got a sideout on a hitting error, then scored the next four points for a 14-6 advantage.
Esky trimmed its deficit to 14-9 on an ace by junior Bella Wells.
The Eskymos were still within 21-17 after a kill by Mylander, then committed a pair of hitting miscues and an error on a return and trailed 24-17.
A kill by junior Braelyn LaBonte brought Esky within 24-19 before a hitting miscue foiled the Eskymos.
In the opener, Esky took a brief 11-10 lead with an ace by Beauchamp.
The Eskymos then committed a service error and three consecutive hitting errors, enabling the Braves to gain a 14-11 lead.
Esky closed within 14-13 before making a mistake on a return.
Gladstone responded with six unanswered points, taking a 20-13 advantage on a hitting miscue by Esky.
Carter pushed the ball over the net for a kill, helping the Eskymos cut their deficit to 21-16.
The Braves, however, didn't allow Esky to get any closer before a kill by Bracket sealed the verdict.
"The girls were ready to play," Hardwick said. "This is a huge confidence builder going into the 'Rock.'"
Pare served for five aces and collected 14 assists. Bracket recorded nine kills and Lauscher added six. Sophomore Makenna Mills finished with 11 assists and senior Joselyn Mills had 20 digs.
Beauchamp tallied four aces, four kills and 13 digs for the Eskymos. Anderson contributed two aces, four kills, three blocks and two digs.
Wells was Esky's defensive leader with 23 digs and Derkos had seven assists.
"I think the girls are comfortable in their own home," Ziebell said. "This is only our second away meet. I think they may have been trying a little too hard. It's just one of those things. I think they'll bounce back. We'll be fine."
Gladstone is hosting the 'Rock' Invitational today. Esky resumes at Negaunee Tuesday.
Gladstone -- Pare (five aces, 14 assists); Bracket (nine kills); Lauscher (six kills); M. Mills (11 assists); J. Mills (20 digs).
Escanaba -- Beauchamp (four aces, four kills, 13 digs); Anderson (two aces, four kills, three blocks, two digs); Carter (one ace, four kills, four assists, six digs); LeMire (one ace, one kill, eight digs); Derkos (one ace, seven assists, five digs); Wells (one ace, 23 digs); LaBonte (one kill, one block); Fitzpatrick (one kill, one assist, one dig); Thompson (one assist, five digs).