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Good start to season: Gwinn Modeltowners stave off Superior Central for volleyball victory

Gwinn’s Lena Pleaugh, center, goes up to receive the ball as Superior Central’s Emily Augustyn, left, and Alice Hancock set up for a block during their high school volleyball match held at the Modeltowners’ gym on Tuesday. (Journal photo by Travis Nelson)

“I take timeouts to reel that back in and keep the positivity up so that we can go back out on the floor and finish the game.” — Maria Slater, Gwinn volleyball interim varsity head coach, who’s filling in for Kandel Ahola after she recently gave birth to twins

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GWINN — The Gwinn High School volleyball team made its debut on a new gym floor for the Modeltowners’ home opener and didn’t disappoint with a three-set sweep over Superior Central on Tuesday evening.

Gwinn got contributions from plenty of players in the 25-20, 25-21, 25-14 victory.

A quick glance at the score would seem to indicate that the Modeltowners breezed to victory, but actually, Superior Central looked down and out in the first two sets before roaring back to make things interesting. The 25th and final point of the sets seemed to elude the home team at times, but Gwinn got the job done to close out the sets.

GHS is working under interim head coach Maria Slater after regular coach Kandel Ahola recently gave birth to twins. Slater used her timeouts strategically to guide her players as they closed out sets 1 and 2.

“It’s a big transition for everyone, but I’ve coached for Gwinn before, so I’ve come in with the attitude that I’ve had before when I coached,” Slater said. “We’re trying to stay positive and trying to roll with everyone’s different personalities.

“Sometimes you have to just reel them back in. I don’t take timeouts to yell; I take timeouts to reel that back in and keep the positivity up so that we can go back out on the floor and finish the game.”

Slater’s charges took advantage early to build a 24-12 lead in the opening set. SC wouldn’t give up easily, cutting the deficit to 24-20 led by multiple kills from Emily Augustyn.

Finally, the Modeltowners were able to dust themselves off and claim the set after a kill by outside hitter Makayla Olson as Augustyn’s block attempt fell short.

Set 2 was both similar and different. It was similar in that the Modeltowners had to work for their final point to close it out, but different in that the Cougars jumped out to a 5-0 lead. The tandem of Olson and setter Lena Pleaugh led the Modeltowners as the duo connected on an assist and kill together to score Gwinn’s first point of the set and seize back momentum.

Slater said she doesn’t utilize an aggressive game plan, but the Modeltowners were capitalizing offensively when the opportunities presented themselves.

“We play a very smart game of volleyball,” Slater said. “I always tell the girls that we play small and we build to be big. Once they get their small ball playing, and those balls get in, they start pushing deeper. That’s how we were playing ball, and I feel like that’s where we’re going to stay competitive and win games.”

Trailing by five, GHS clawed back to take a 14-10 lead following two straight service aces from middle hitter Melanie Beauchamp. Gwinn came up with more kills, mostly from Shaylyn Spencer, to make it 24-19 and again within a point of winning the set.

That when the Cougars’ Clara Rondeau connected on two straight serves resulting in an errant hit and an ace to cut the deficit to only three, 24-21, but her third serve hit the net to end the rally.

SC showed determination in its fight to get back into the first two sets, but it appeared that the Cougars ran out of gas in the third. Gwinn scored six straight points, capped by another kill from Olson, to break a deadlock and go up 11-5. The Cougars did cut it down to 17-13, but this time the Modeltowners finished the set strongly to prevail.

“I think that we have a lot of grit, and when we really dig down deep, we can do it,” SC head coach Kris Bray said. “We just need to stay consistent with that grit longer, and we will as the season goes on, but we just had too many unforced errors.

“Gwinn also kept us off balance and you have to give them credit.”

Both teams are off until next week when Superior Central travels to Stephenson on Tuesday and Gwinn hosts Houghton Wednesday.

Travis Nelson can be reached by email at tnelson@miningjournal.net.

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