VOLLEYBALL: Lutheran North outlasts Notre Dame Prep

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

PONTIAC — There is a first time for everything.

A huge first came Tuesday night for Macomb Lutheran North on the volleyball court.

The Mustangs ventured into Pontiac Notre Dame Prep’s gym and outlasted the Fighting Irish 3-2 in a CHSL AA Division volleyball match.

After being on its heels in Game 1, falling, 25-10, the Mustangs rallied to take Game 2 (25-18), Game 3 (25-21) and Game 5 (18-16). Notre Dame Prep forced a Game 5 with a 25-17 triumph in Game 4.

“I don’t think we have ever beat them, but I’m a new coach so I’d have to do some research, ” said first-year Kristina Gilchrist. “Our girls have worked so hard and they played amazing.

“I just know they are a good program,” added Gilchrist of Notre Dame Prep. “They always have good players and area tough team to beat. They have (history).”

Notre Dame Prep only returned three girls that saw any significant playing time from its Class B regional finalist team. The Fighting Irish have won eight of the last 10 CHSL-AA Division crowns but find themselves in a rare 0-1 hole with state-ranked teams Dearborn Divine Child, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard and Riverview Gabriel Richard waiting in the wings the next couple of weeks.

“This loss will hurt us in the (standings),” admitted Notre Dame Prep coach Betty Wroubel, who counts three sophomores and three freshmen on varsity this season. “These girls work hard and they are great girls. But we are so young. We haven’t quite gelled yet this season. We have a couple of seniors that maybe need to lead a little bit more, be more vocal. We are making mistakes at key times. They are correctable mistakes.”

Both teams had the other at match-point in Game 5. Lutheran North, off to one of its best starts in school history at 13-3-0, had Notre Dame Prep on the ropes at 14-11 before the Fighting Irish (12-10-1) ventured on a 4-0 run, capped by a service point by Katie Jurkiw, to go up 15-14.

The youthful Irish could not tuck the Mustangs away, as the guests rallied to tie the game at 16-16. Back-to-back kills from Lutheran North’s Kaitlyn Gilchrist and Jacquelyn Schwark finally ended the 2 hour, 20-minute marathon.

“They have never beat us before,” admitted Wroubel. “We came out and passed and hit really well and beat them pretty god in the first game. We made some switches, got some other kids some playing time and they came right back on us. We knew then we were in for a battle.”

For Lutheran North, a team on the rise, this is the first marquee win of the season.

“It is a great feeling. These girls have worked so hard together and they are so good,” said Gilchrist. (Once we were back in the game), we were so pumped. To come here and beat a team like this is amazing.”

Notre Dame Prep raced out to lead s of 7-0, 16-3 and 19-6 before putting Game1 away. The Mustangs quickly turned the tides with two straight wins.”

“I wasn’t that worried, because we’ve started slow before,” said Gilchrist. “We’ve played that way and still came back and won. The girls kind of regrouped. The girls knew what to do.”

Lutheran North never trailed in Game 2 and only trailed briefly in Game 3 (6-5) before pulling ahead. In the fourth game, NDP blasted out to a 11-4 lead and never allowed the Mustangs to come within less than six points, eventually forcing a fifth game.

Kristen Rupkus led Lutheran North with a game-high 22 kills. Gilchrist added 10 kills and Schwark slammed eight kills for the Mustangs.

Sophomore Danielle McCormick led NDP with 12 kills and three blocks. Freshman Catherine Carlson added eight kills for the Fighting Irish.

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Tags: CHSL Girls Volleyball, girls volleyball, High School Girls Volleyball, MacombLutheran North Girls Volleyball, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep Girls Volleyball, Prep Girls Volleyball, volleyball

Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Prep Wraps