• HS Baseball 4/19: Escanaba 8, Gladstone 4
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Saturday April 20, 2024
Gwinn Rallies Past Braves On 'Spike Cancer' Night

Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and listen to post-game interveiws.

GLADSTONE---The Gladstone High School volleyball team got off to a strong start Thursday night as the Braves hosted its annual pink 'Spike Cancer' match.

The Gwinn Model Towners rallied to win the match, 3-1, on a night where nearly $4,000 was raised for two local women who are battling cancer.

The scores were 18-25, 26-24, 25-13, and 25-13, in favor of the Model Towners.

Gladstone, looking for its first match victory of the season, led that entire first set before winning rather easily, and then the Braves were ahead, 23-17, in the second game, looking to take a 2-0 lead. But the Model Towners battled back, scoring nine of the next ten points, with the only Gladstone point in that stretch being on a Gwinn error.

"It takes us a little time to get worked in and these girls have really shown some fight these last two games this week," Gwinn Coach Maria Slater said, after her team had a grueling five-set match with Marquette Tuesday night. "I was really proud of them to see that fight still in them. They did a phenominal job and they shut it down."

Gladstone Coach Averi Kanyuh was encouraged what she saw from her team early in the match, and hopes it gives them confidence heading down the stretch.

"I think we started really great," Kanyuh said. "That was probably our best set all year. The girls did really well coming together as a team, communicating. I think if they remember the feeling of that first set, and continue with that the next couple of games that we'll have, then we should be playing better."

There's no doubt the Braves have been energized by the addition of freshman Lillie Johnson in the middle. She's new to volleyball, but the Model Towners had to adjust to Johnson after that first set when she, at one point, had three straight kills.

"I switched it up a little bit," Slater said. "I'm trying to work a few more people in. Just worked in some back-row players, and we've got a couple of injuries, so we're kind of working around that. We've really got a deep squad and so it's nice to have that and be able to put whoever I want in to really get the game done."

Gwinn senior Grace Anderson and junior Makayla Olson had big runs down the stretch.

"I think we had a lot of mental mistakes and mental errors there," Kanyuh said. "Just sent over too many free balls."

The night was about more than just volleyball, though, as fundraising was done all day to raise money to battle cancer, and more specifically, to help two people who are beating the disease. Gladstone's Trish Kidd and Tammy Wetthuhn both received checks for $1,963.18.

"The girls every year get some sponsors, and they bring in that money, and Gwinn helped out a little bit, too," Kanyuh said. "It's really great to have the community come together. It's awesome that could donate to two people who are also really close to the Gladstone school and the Gladstone teaching staff."









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