Perkins keeps SBC Lake volleyball title hopes alive

PERKINS TWP. — Perkins still has a chance to win a Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division title. The Pirates need help on the final night of league play, but losing to Norwalk on Tuesday would have eliminated even the possibility. Perkins took care of business, topping the Truckers 25-17, 20-25, 25-13, 25-18. It was Senior Night for the Pirates (11-10, 6-3 SBC Lake), celebrating the success of Avery Maldonado, Brianna Rawlins, Micah Slay, Ferrell Coleman and Leah Hirshman. "They probably don't want me to say this, but when we looked at our schedule and figured out when our Senior Night would be, they asked to change it," Perkins coach Brandon Duvall said. "I told them no. The schedule is tough and everybody is tough. We have to learn how to compete." Norwalk (10-10, 4-5) topped Perkins on Sept. 18, 25-20, 25-11, 25-20. "I think that their seniors stood out tonight," Norwalk coach Sarah Kipp said. "A huge difference in the ballgame there. Ferrell Coleman and Micah Slay were fantastic for them tonight. Freshman Viera Walker was a gamechanger for them tonight. That was the difference in the ballgame. I think that their senior leadership on the floor speaks volumes." Perkins won the first set, but the Truckers took control in the second set. Norwalk played with the lead most of the way, opening a 19-13 advantage after a kill from Ainslee King and ace from Maddie Gamble. Perkins got back into the set with the next five points that included two kills from Slay and a net violation on Norwalk. The Truckers righted the ship though, finishing the set on a 5-1 run. Bella Hernandez stuffed a block and Sydney Moehlman served up an ace to tie the match at a set apiece. "We minimized our unforced errors and played with consistency," Kipp said. "That's what we've been talking about all year. We are looking for that to happen more consistently." The Pirates bounced back over the final two sets. Perkins raced off to a 10-5 lead in Set 3 and pushed it to 13-6 on an Ella Goodsite ace. Perkins never allowed the Truckers to get their footing in the set as the Pirates went up 18-9 after two errors by Norwalk. Moehlman lined a kill for the Truckers, but kills from Slay and Braelyn Davie put the Pirates up 2-1. "We stayed the course," Duvall said. "We know our faults and the things we do that cost us games. It's less physical and less skill and more mental. We have to stay competitive and deal with challenges. We get emotional sometimes. Today, we decided to not get as emotional and be competitive. It worked out for us." Norwalk looked to push the match to a deciding fifth set, going up 8-4 after a block by Addy Sholes and kill from King. Perkins was game and fought back with a big run. The Pirates used a 9-2 sprint to go up 13-10. Norwalk wasn't able to get much going, falling behind 18-13 following a kill from Coleman. The Truckers only closed the gap as close as 18-16 before Perkins won three straight points. A kill from Slay sent Norwalk to its fourth loss in five matches. "You have to be physical with them," said Duvall of Norwalk. "Their libero is incredible and their defense is strong. They have some big girls at the net and some girls that like to hit the ball as well. We had to retaliate. The last time we played them, we got soft." Gamble (11 digs) topped Norwalk with 12 kills while Moehlman and King each lined 11 kills. Erica Tyler registered 23 assists, Sawyer Wineman contributed 23 digs and Lola Schlotterer had 12 assists. Norwalk is back in action Thursday when it travels to Bellevue (17-4, 7-2), a team that can clinch at least a share of the SBC Lake Division title with a win. "Gotta bounce back," Kipp said. "That's the bottom line. There has to be a will and a want to win. At some point, they have to stand up and say no and play more consistent and more fundamental." Slay finished with 21 kills for Perkins while Coleman added 11 kills. Walker tallied 14 digs and nine kills for the Pirates. Maldonado led the defense with 25 digs while Davie ran the offense to the run of 42 assists. Perkins is at Clyde (7-14, 3-6) on Thursday. "This game is all about momentum," Duvall said. "If we drop a set, we have to make sure that we're building to get to the next set. We know we're in a position to just focus on the little things and not worry about the winning and losing."