Whiteford ends long road trip with win over Erie Mason

ERIE – It's been a challenging start to the season for Whiteford's volleyball team.

The schedule makers were not kind.

The Bobcats' first five dates and eight of their first nine are all on the road, including two tournaments to open the season. Coming into the week, Whiteford had won just one match.

"I was a little disappointed we didn't have more home games," junior Aly VanBrandt said. "But we can't let it affect us."

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Thankfully, Ottawa Lake travels well.

Whiteford enjoyed a large student section in Toledo earlier this week for its game against Emmanuel Christian. The support from their fellow students was key in a four-set victory.

The student group was there again for Whiteford on Thursday at Erie Mason, rivaling the energy and volume of the Eagles' own home crowd. There's no doubt that level of support has given the Bobcats a lift, VanBrandt said.

"It's been fine because our student section comes with us," VanBrandt said. "It really helps us get our energy up. They were here for the Emmanuel game, which we won. They help us stay up and stay positive."

Whiteford will finally head home next week on a winning streak. The Bobcats won their second straight match Thursday with a thrilling five-set victory over Mason 25-18, 26-28, 21-25, 25-21, 15-12.

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"It will be nice to be able to have that home game," first-year Whiteford coach Janie Bunge. "But, as you saw, we have a lot of guys out watching us in that fan section, and the parents have been great and following us. We've had support everywhere we go."

Bunge said she told her team from Day One that they were capable of winning a Tri-County Conference championships this season. Thursday was Whiteford's first league match and the Bobcats took confidence from their coach.

Whiteford used a late run to pull away and win the first set, but the the team could not keep pace with Mason in the next two games.

Strong serving from Mason's Audrey Trainor early in the second set helped the Eagles to an 11-8 lead. They never trailed again, but the Bobcats proved tough to put away. Mason had set point at 24-20 before Whiteford rallied to tie the game three times.

In the third set, Mason raced out to a 20-10 lead and held off Whiteford again. The Bobcats pulled within three points late in the set, 24-21, but the Eagles put the game away for a 2-1 match lead.

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"Sometimes when we start to get in a rut, it's usually one rotation," Bunge said. "That's how we get beat. We get down, we get stuck in that, and we lose all our momentum. ... In the fourth set, we were able to not let that happen as much."

The fourth set was tied 10 different times. The Bobcats finally took control on a kill from Berlynn Keller that gave Whiteford a 20-19 advantage. The Bobcats scored five of the next seven points to force a fifth set. Kills from Kenzie Gray, Allison Spradling, and Alaina Andrews decided the game.

The final set was all Whiteford.

The Bobcats built up a 13-7 lead before Mason found any momentum. By that point, it was too late for the Eagles. Gray ended a closely-fought match with her ninth kill of the night.

Jessica Ulery had 13 kills and 6 blocks to lead Whiteford, Spradling recorded 10 kills, and Andrews tallied 30 assists. Defensively, VanBrandt had 39 digs, and Madelyn Thomas and Ava Hillard added 11 each.

"We're still looking for that go-to hitter, especially in that (bad) rotation," Bunge said. "We don't have that yet. I need someone to step up and be that for us. We're seeing it in little bits though. It's exciting."

Defense was the most consistent part of Whiteford's game on a night when errors plagued the offense. VanBrandt, the team's libero, was particularly effective against a cascade of talented Mason hitters.

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"Our defense played really well tonight, just very confident," Bunge said. "Aly is really settling into that role in left back and feeling confident there."

And a good defense can lead into a strong offense, VanBrandt said.

"Really communication is the biggest part of when we have success on defense," she said. "And when defense gets a good pass, our hitters get up and they want to put the ball in play."

Whiteford improved to 3-6-2 overall and will finally head home Tuesday to host Adrian Madison.

"We're pretty excited," VanBrandt said.

Angela Sweeney had a great game for Mason. The junior recorded 14 kills and 12 digs and was a dominant force on the court. She had the winning kill in the 28-26 second set and had four kills to help Mason take the third game.

"(Sweeney) gets the bulk of our sets," Mason coach Shelia Cuschieri said. "She's our heavy hitter, but we do move the ball around well. ... Angela did a great job. She's definitely our leader on offense and is a leader as far as talking to the girls, communicating, and keeping their spirits up. She's going to be a force to be reckoned with next year, if she's not there already."

Makenna Ballantyne added 11 assists and 9 digs, Cami Zaleski had 26 digs, and Trainor finished with 16 service points and 9 digs.

Mason dipped to 7-2 overall and 1-1 in the TCC.

"Before the fifth set, I told the girls that this game was theirs if they wanted it," Cuschieri said. "It was going to come down to who made the least amount of errors and who capitalized on the other team who was making errors. ... Overall, I thought the girls played great."