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Hitting their stride: Ishpeming Hematites discover weekend marathon meet helps win 4-setter at Gladstone a few days later

Gladstone’s Kennedy Sanville, right center, dumps the ball over the net between Ishpeming defenders Bailey Zellar, left, and Maddy McNab on Tuesday in Gladstone. (Escanaba Daily Press photo by Todd Rose)

Up next: Ishpeming at Manistique, 6:45 p.m. Tuesday

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GLADSTONE — The Ishpeming volleyball team won a four-set match at Gladstone on Tuesday night, 25-21, 25-17, 20-25, 25-14.

“It feels really good,” Hematites coach Katt Beerling said about the win. “We’ve had a rocky start, especially with the talent that we have. We played here during (The Rock Invitational) Saturday. We worked out a lot of kinks and got a good rhythm.

“I think that this (match) was a good turning point for us. We’re ready to go forward from this.”

Ishpeming's Hannah Deloughary, right, passes a Negaunee serve as teammates Emma Poirier, left, and Madison McNab look on in the first set of a high school volleyball match played at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium in Negaunee on Sept. 12, 2019. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

Ishpeming went up — and controlled — the majority of the first two sets, though the Braves were able to stay within striking distance for much of both.

In Set 3, it was the opposite story as the Braves held the advantage — at one point by 10 points, 20-10 — to take the win and stay alive in the match.

Beerling commented that the third set was a result of two main things — the Hematites letting their guard down and the Braves hunger to win at home.

“We were getting comfortable, I think, and I think that we came out a little too set to take it in three (sets),” she said. “And (the Braves) showed up. I mean, it’s their home court. They want to win just as much as we do.

“I think we let our guard down a little bit too much, but then we came back ready to go in that fourth set, and I’m really proud of them for that.”

Ishpeming had solid all-around play, Beerling said.

Up front, Olivia Corp was strong at the net, supported by the outside hitters, while the back row performed well, led by Hannah Deloughary and Cora Nicholas.

After some time off, Ishpeming returns to action Tuesday night at Manistique.

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