Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos from the match, and to hear post-game comments from Emeralds senior Ella Schuetter, and Manistique Coach Amy Nixon and Escanaba Coach Adam Lambert.
ESCANABA---The Manistique High School volleyball team wrapped up a successful regular season Thursday night, with a rather easy 3-0 win over the Escanaba Eskymos.
The scores were 25-21, 25-14, and 25-15.
The Emeralds finished a season in which they won every single dual meet match, and finished with 30 wins overall, with their only three losses (30-3-1) coming in tournament play.
Manistique is ranked No. 9 in the state, and is No 3 in the U.P. poll.
"Now that you say that out loud, it's crazy, because I didn't realize it was that many (wins)," Manistique senior Ella Schuetter said. "That is awesome. I'm insanely proud of us. Tonight, I think we just flowed well as a team. Our energy was high. We were out there having fun. I don't really know what else I could ask for from our team."
"We knew it would be a tough game," Escanaba Coach Adam Lambert said. "There wasn't anything on the line, other than some really good play for the post-season. We knew they would bring it. They've got some great hitters. They know where to place the ball. We knew it was going to be that way. It was a great match."
Schuetter again led the way with 16 kills, after posting 27 kills in a win over Cheboygan earlier this week. She has shattered school records, not only for the 27 kills in one match, but also for kills in a season (443), and kills in a career (1,207).
"This is her fourth year on varsity, so we've been working for this season since she was a freshman," Manistique Coach Amy Nixon said. "It's all coming together for her now, so I'm so proud of all of the hard work that she's put in. She's so smart with the ball. She knows where the block is at, and if they line up one way, she'll hit it the other way."
"I felt like in Cheboygan, we did a lot of back-and-forth," Schuetter said. "A lot of the points for me was just ball control. I'm able to do a lot with my wrist, so I think that's what helps me a lot. This is my first season ever going undefeated (in dual matches), and I can't think of any other way that I'd like my senior season to go."
Escanaba, with many underclassmen in the line-up due to injuries, just had to keep plugging along, Lambert said. He says it was important to play hard with a district tournament match coming up next Monday night against te Houghton Gremlins.
"They kept their spirits," Lambert said. "They kept up as a team. They tried different things. I'm watching them set a 'J' and some 'shoot sets' and when you're down in the score, it's hard to get motivated and try some offensive plays. They were doing that, so that, I was very proud of."
Nixon says her girls stayed the course and executed well, even though it was a "meaningless" non-conference match.
"I think tonight, we really played well," Nixon said. "I think our aggressive play, we were not afraid to take big swings when the ball was a little off, and it paid off for us."
And as for Manistique post-season prospects, with a tough district at Bark River-Harris coming up, and a possible clash with top-ranked Calumet down the road, the ladies are focused.
"I tthink we're as ready as we'll ever be," Schuetter said.
ESCANABA---The Manistique High School volleyball team wrapped up a successful regular season Thursday night, with a rather easy 3-0 win over the Escanaba Eskymos.
The scores were 25-21, 25-14, and 25-15.
Manistique is ranked No. 9 in the state, and is No 3 in the U.P. poll.
"Now that you say that out loud, it's crazy, because I didn't realize it was that many (wins)," Manistique senior Ella Schuetter said. "That is awesome. I'm insanely proud of us. Tonight, I think we just flowed well as a team. Our energy was high. We were out there having fun. I don't really know what else I could ask for from our team."
"We knew it would be a tough game," Escanaba Coach Adam Lambert said. "There wasn't anything on the line, other than some really good play for the post-season. We knew they would bring it. They've got some great hitters. They know where to place the ball. We knew it was going to be that way. It was a great match."
Schuetter again led the way with 16 kills, after posting 27 kills in a win over Cheboygan earlier this week. She has shattered school records, not only for the 27 kills in one match, but also for kills in a season (443), and kills in a career (1,207).
"I felt like in Cheboygan, we did a lot of back-and-forth," Schuetter said. "A lot of the points for me was just ball control. I'm able to do a lot with my wrist, so I think that's what helps me a lot. This is my first season ever going undefeated (in dual matches), and I can't think of any other way that I'd like my senior season to go."
Escanaba, with many underclassmen in the line-up due to injuries, just had to keep plugging along, Lambert said. He says it was important to play hard with a district tournament match coming up next Monday night against te Houghton Gremlins.
"They kept their spirits," Lambert said. "They kept up as a team. They tried different things. I'm watching them set a 'J' and some 'shoot sets' and when you're down in the score, it's hard to get motivated and try some offensive plays. They were doing that, so that, I was very proud of."
"I think tonight, we really played well," Nixon said. "I think our aggressive play, we were not afraid to take big swings when the ball was a little off, and it paid off for us."
And as for Manistique post-season prospects, with a tough district at Bark River-Harris coming up, and a possible clash with top-ranked Calumet down the road, the ladies are focused.
"I tthink we're as ready as we'll ever be," Schuetter said.
THURSDAY'S OTHER U.P. VOLLEYBALL SCORES
Forest Park 3, Bark River-Harris 0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-14)
Engadine 3, Mid Peninsula 1 (25-10, 11-25, 25-13, 25-20)
North Central 3, Rapid River 1 (13-25, 25-7, 25-20, 25-9)
Munising 3, Superior Central 0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-17)
Kingsford 3, Houghton 0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-23)
North Dickinson 3, Norway 0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-16)
L'Anse 3, Ontonagon 2 (23-25, 25-16, 25-22, 22-25, 15-11)
Baraga 3, Ewen-Trout Creek 1 (25-14, 18-25, 25-19, 25-15)
