Warren Mott, Fraser volleyball advance to district semifinals with Tuesday wins
A sense of "been there, done that" and a wake-up call from coach Camisha Coleman helped Warren Mott overcome a slow start Tuesday in the first round of the Division 1 volleyball district at Chippewa Valley.
The Marauders lost the first set to Cousino 16-25, but came back to win the next three 25-17, 25-18, 25-20.
In the other first round match, Fraser defeated Fitzgerald 25-2, 25-12, 25-5.
"I told them they needed to get it together," Coleman said. "I know exactly how my team can play so when they start making silly mistakes I have to get on them and let them know how good they are. I told them, 'this is not acceptable. We can't win when we do little silly stuff.'"
It's a veteran team led by senior captains Niah Sims and Addison Brown.
"We don't panic," Brown said. "We've been with each other for three or four years. We've grown up as a family. We talk things out. We're like sisters and at the end of the day we lock it down."
Sometimes, however, a few words of wisdom from Coleman are needed.
"She definitely did get on us after the first game," Sims said. "That helps us. Sometimes we lose sight of what we need to do. If we fall back we get a little down on ourselves. When Coach gets in our heads, that's when we're ready to come back and lock in.
"When we work together and have that chemistry, we feel like nothing can stop us."
Coleman also reminded her team that a loss would mean the end of a fine season that resulted in a Macomb Area Conference Silver Division championship.
"My whole team is pretty much seniors so I told them, 'this is it. If you don't win tonight your season is over,'" she said. "I think that kind of made them think, let's get it together."
Cousino went on a 10-0 run in the first set to erase a 14-12 Mott lead. The serving of Reagan Collins and the hitting of Isabella Hormillosa, who had four-straight kills, and Jessica Banar highlighted the comeback.
The Marauders took a 4-1 lead in the second set, but the Patriots answered with a 7-1 spurt that featured a pair of kills by Hormillosa and one apiece from Charlotte Martin, Sylwia Adamusik and Banar. The lead changed hands several times before a 6-0 run put Mott ahead 20-15. Sims sparked the surge with a kill and three ace serves. The Marauders closed the set with five-straight points.
The third set stayed close until Mott closed it out with an 8-0 run. Brown had two kills in the run, including one for the final point.
"My team trusts me," Brown said. "Whether it's on free balls or the regular sets, I have my team in mind. I'm thinking, 'I've got to get this.'"
Cousino made a comeback in the third set after trailing 18-9. The Patriots went on a 7-0 run that featured two aces by Banar and a kill by Adamusik. The Marauders got their lead back to 21-17 but Cousino got within a point, 21-20, after a kill and a block by Martin. Two more kills by Brown and an ace serve by Sofie Simon in a 4-0 run closed out the match.
Junior libero Savannah Staley played well for Mott, especially in the third and fourth games.
"I'm very proud of these girls," Coleman said. "I think it's the heart and the passion they have for this sport. I couldn't ask for a better team. I love their attitude. It's just that sometimes I have to reel them back in."
Warren Mott will play MAC Blue champion Chippewa Valley in a district semifinal at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Cousino coach Asha Quillico-Hart guided her team to a 12-10-1 record in her first season.
"This wasn't the best game we've played but I was pleased with the way the season went," she said. "This was a heartbreaker, for sure, but we're looking ahead to the future. We have only six seniors out of 16 so 10 are coming back. That's a pretty solid group. We're hopeful."
One of the seniors the Patriots lose is Collins.
"Reagan's a baller, She's amazing," Quillico-Hart said. "She goes after everything. I loved having her. She was at least our best defensive player, maybe even our MVP."
One of the players returning is Hormillosa.
"She has hops for days and a volleyball IQ that's out of the gym," Quillico-Hart said. "Dakota Rapson had a great game, Charlotte Martin had a lot of blocks and Sylvia Adamusik played really well. Everyone did their part."
Fraser, the third-place team in the MAC White, had little trouble with Fitzgerald, which finished third in the MAC Bronze.
"You never can take anyone lightly," said Ramblers coach Kim Argiri-Slone. 'I'm always nervous before a match. You have to play the game. It was good to get out and play and get game ready. I got some of my non-starters more playing time."
The Ramblers face Sterling Heights at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
"We wanted to work on serving and free-ball defense for faster transitions," Argiri-Slone said. "We did OK. I'd give us a B+."
Breanna Szydlowski was 19-for-20 serving with 17 points and three aces. Freshman Irelyn Bednarchik was perfect on nine serves and had eight points and two aces. Marissa Gutow and Lauren Sergent were each 9-for-10 on their serves with eight and nine points, respectively. Gutow had three aces and Sergent two.
Gutow finished with 13 assists. Freshman Payton Hill had a team-high six kills. Samantha Smith led with four digs.
Sabrina Watson was the leading hitter for the Spartans.
