Traverse City Record-Eagle

Volleyball

November 22, 2009

Pellston falls in volleyball title match

FROM STAFF REPORTS

BATTLE CREEK -- Playing virtually in its own backyard, Battle Creek St. Philip won its fourth straight Class D state volleyball title with a straight-set win over Pellston.

St. Philip (63-7-3), which has played in the Class D title game every year since 2002, won its fifth title in six years with a 25-13, 25-21, 25-10 victory.

The first set was close much of the way, as a Katie Dzedzie kill off a Chelsea Bonter assist drew the Hornets within one point at 10-11. But that would be as close as Pellston (49-8-8) would get in that set as St. Philip scored the set's last six points, ending it 25-13 on a Riley Buschke ace.

The second set was tight, going back and forth. The Hornets took an 18-17 lead on back-to-back Tayler Friend aces before the Tigers would close it out.

St. Philip controlled the third set, scoring the first 12 points, four on aces by Ryian Hubbard.

Dzedzie led Pellston with 10 kills, Friend added nine and Bonter had 14 assists. Samantha McNitt chipped in nine assists. Friend added eight digs and two aces, Rachel Hutto had a pair of aces and Kristi Lewis and Bonter each had three blocks.

Amanda McKeinzie and Megan Toth led St. Philip with 10 kills each, and Hubbard passed around 27 assists.

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