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Braves Outlast Eskymos In Wild Volleyball Battle
 ESCANABA---Whenever the Escanaba Eskymos and Gladstone Braves play in varsity athletics, it is always an intense battle. The kids all know each other, and they try just a little bit harder than they do when they play against most other teams. 
Gladstone Braves senior Breanne Aird.
And the match went back-and-forth all night long before the Braves emerged with the victory, 3-2. ladstone won by scores of 15-25, 25-21, 25-21, 13-25, and 18-16. Gladstone played without its top hitter, Jess Beaudry, who suffered a back injury during the Rock Invitational last Saturday in Gladstone. But Summer Demeuse, Lexi Hongisto, and others filled in to make big plays throughout the night, although Gladstone Coach Liz Gendron was not happy with all of the errors her team made during those five sets. Gendron counted 18 missed serves and 37 attack errors, which adds up to 55 points that she feels that her team gave to the Eskymos. Escanaba won the first set, 25-15, before the Braves rebounded to win the next two sets, 25-21 and 25-21. But with a chance to end the match, the Braves had communication problems and the Eskymos got on a roll to win, 25-13, setting up a fifth game. 
Brittany Bruce serves for the Eskymos.
And a Jessica Gill kill made it 16-15 moments later, but, again, the Eskymos could't deliver the knockout punch. With the game tied at 16-16, the Braves scored when the Eskymos couldn't get the ball over in the required three hits. Then Demeuse ended the contest with a strong spike off of two Eskymos, and Gladstone escaped with a road victory. Hongisto had 18 kills to lead the Braves, while Demeuse had 12 kills and 20 digs. Katie Belonga and Breanna Aird each had three service aces during the contest. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos from the match. 
Gladstone's Lexi Hongisto (5) sends a serve into Escanaba territory during the second set on Thursday.
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