SHELBY – A unique matchup between rivals added a new layer of competition when Shelby and Hart met on the volleyball court for a battle of state ranked squads, Tuesday, Sept. 3.
Division 3’s No. 7 ranked Shelby took care of business against Hart, winning in four sets. The Pirates – who were recognized as an Honorable Mention in the same division – didn’t make things easy, using outstanding defense to keep things close for the majority of the night.
“(Hart) was ranked in the state and we weren’t sure if it was a legit ranking, but they showed us tonight what they’re made out of,” Shelby head coach Tom Weirich said.
Being a top ranked team is nothing new for the Tigers; the same can’t be said for Hart. Even Hart volleyball’s head coach Amanda Van Sickle was a bit surprised when she received the news.
“I actually had no idea because that’s not something I check,” Van Sickle laughed. “When I found out, I sent it to the girls and was like, ‘hey, I told you I believe in you, but now look. Here’s some proof on paper from the state level that we can do this.’ That helped their confidence, just knowing that (they) are getting recognized.”
That recognition was well deserved as the Pirates gave a Shelby squad led by senior Navea Gauthier – an Ohio State University commit – all they could handle.
Shelby senior Navea Guathier elevates as she eyes the ball above her.
Shelby found their usual rhythm, using a supporting cast to set up their attacks for Gauthier. That fueled them to a 15-8 lead midway through the opening set. Hart found their footing however, piecing together a seven point swing that found the game tied at 15-15.
“Most nights, (Gauthier) is going to be the best player in the gym and she was tonight,” Weirich said. “(Hart) played good defense. We’re not going to trick anybody with our gameplan, we’re just going to try and be better than them with our gameplan. Most of the time we can get away with it.”
Both Hart and Shelby traded points in the back half of that set, with Shelby ultimately pulling away for a 25-20 victory and a 1-0 lead on the night.
The second set was a far cry from the first as missed serves from the Tigers set them back immediately. Hart took advantage, seizing momentum and rolling to a 25-22 victory.
In the third set, it was Shelby that once again took control, pulling away in a 25-20 victory. While Hart’s defense was strong at the net, coming away with several blocks, it wasn’t enough to claim victory.
“We knew coming into the game that (Gauthier) was going to be their go-to,” Van Sickle said. “They set her 90 percent of the time, and we know that. She got a few kills right away, but we started getting digs and our blockers started getting touches. I think that helped the team know that they can defend her.”
Endurance proved to be a factor late in the evening. The Pirates started out the fourth and final set with vigor, but the engine ran out of steam. Gauthier and the Tigers remained calm and pulled out a convincing 25-20 victory to take a 3-1 decision and move to 6-0 on the year.
Hart was led on defense by sophomore libero Alayna Schiller who pulled out 17 digs to go along with five aces and a 95 percent service mark. Sophomore setter and defensive specialist Cali Eisenlohr had 12 assists and 12 digs while senior outside hitter Kelsey Copenhaver filled the stat sheet with 11 kills, five digs, 3 assists and one block. Sophomore outside hitter Reese Smith was the ringer for the Pirates, posting 10 kills and 14 digs.
Hart sophomore Reese Smith flies through the air, arm ready to attack from her outside hitter position.
Shelby’s leader was Gauthier who posted a monster stat line that included 46 kills, 17 digs and two blocks – all leading marks on her team. Senior setter Audrey Horton provided 44 assists and was the Tigers’ most dangerous player at the service line with five aces. Junior Brylee Friedman chipped in six kills and 14 digs while freshman Jayna Burmeister had four aces to go along with one block.
Hart falls to 7-2 overall on the season and opens West Michigan Conference Rivers Division play with an 0-1 mark.
Shelby and Hart will meet twice more this season, once at the WMC Rivers Tournament and again in the postseason as both teams are in the same district in 2024.
