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Superior Central Cougars rounding into form with volleyball districts looming

North Central's Katelyn Deming, left, bumps the ball over as Superior Central's Emma Rutter defends in their Skyline Central Conference volleyball match played Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, in Powers. (Escanaba Daiy Press photo by Todd Rose)

POWERS — Superior Central earned a three-set sweep of North Central in a Skyline Central Conference volleyball match played Thursday night.

Cougars coach Kris Bray boiled the result down to the Cougars working well as a unit.

“Our team played well,” she said. “I thought our offense was running real nice. We’re trying to speed up our offense and we’re doing a pretty good job with it.

“And we eliminated some of our unforced errors, and I think that was key to our success.

“We’re just playing well as a team. We’re passing pretty well and hitting pretty well, and we’re just going to keep building getting ready for district (tournament).”

In the first two sets, SC jumped on the Jets early — with two four-point runs helmed by Emma Rutter and Maggie Rondeau in the first and a seven-point run with Maddie Begovac at the service line in the second — and had the upper hand throughout, stifling any attempts of building momentum by NC.

The third set, however, was a different story as the Jets gained the early advantage, 6-2. Things remained tight until the Cougars hit their stride to string together a few short runs to win 25-17.

The anchor at the net was Riley Johnson, while Rutter also shone.

“Riley Johnson always plays tough, and she had some really good plays at the net,” Bray noted. “Emma Rutter had some massive hits that were like 100 miles an hour, and that was nice to see because I’ve known she’s had it in her, and we finally saw it.”

The night got off to a slow start for the Jets, and coach Rick Mick took the blame for it.

“I take full responsibility for the first set. I totally botched the starting lineup,” Mick said. “What I wrote down on my notepad was different than what I gave the scoreboard. So, the scorekeeper had a different lineup than I did, and everyone’s telling me we’re wrong, and I’m like, ‘We’re not.’ And then we get six points in, and I finally go and look.

“That’s all on me. So, that totally took the freaking mojo out of everybody, right?”

Despite the rocky start, the Jets clawed back and improved each set, with Ashley Neuens and Shae LaCoursier — who also had a big block in the second set — putting in nice effort serving with four and three aces apiece while Katelyn Deming had seven digs.

On Tuesday, SC hosts Rapid River.

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