CHEBOYGAN – As a contender in the Northern Shores Conference, the Cheboygan volleyball team might feel like it has a target on its back right now.
But no matter who they’re playing in the conference, the Chiefs are all business.
Tuesday night was evidence of that as the Chiefs stayed undefeated in the NSC by rolling to a 3-0 victory over Harbor Springs (25-15, 25-19, 25-11) at home.
Here’s some takeaways from another impressive Cheboygan performance.
Elite counter punch
The Chiefs (14-2-1, 3-0 NSC) stayed in control during much of Tuesday’s match, but they were tested at times against a tricky Harbor Springs team that featured aggressive attackers.
But each time the Rams (1-12-1, 0-3) made a run, the Chiefs answered in all three sets. The Chiefs fell behind by a couple points in the first, but they responded with a big run to take a 1-0 lead in the match, then followed it up by staving off a late Harbor Springs charge in the second. Midway through the third, the Chiefs delivered the knockout blow with a long run that the Rams couldn’t stop.
In the end, another happy night for Cheboygan.
“The girls got their points from attacking, but everybody was hitting,” Cheboygan coach Jordan Barrette said. “Not one person was getting all the kills. All my girls got kills. Serve-receive looked phenomenal for my team tonight, and that was something we’ve been working so hard on is getting passes right to our setter, and not having Makaela (Steiner) fly all over the court. It was a huge win to see that happen.”
The Chiefs displayed their attacking depth as sophomore Diem Schley finished with seven kills and two aces, while seniors Abi Babcock (two aces), Olivia Patrick (two aces) and Tessa Lake (ace) each delivered five kills. Seniors Makaela Steiner (four kills, five aces) and Kyleigh Burt (three kills) also contributed, as well as senior Presley Chamberlain, who once again stood out defensively.
Taking the opponent seriously
In many ways, Cheboygan’s matchup with Harbor Spring was a trap game, especially knowing the Rams showed they were more than capable of making things difficult for the home side.
Fortunately for Barrette, her team showed its title credentials by being consistent in all three sets.
“We had a conversation that this is not a team to take lightly, where we said it doesn’t matter what their record is, it doesn’t matter what we think,” Barrette said. “We told them, ‘This is a game that you need to win, and we have to play like it’s the most important thing ever, and they’re the best team in the world.’”
Cheboygan doesn’t return to action until a conference away clash at Boyne City on Sept. 23.
As for how her team is playing right now, Barrette could not be more pleased.
“When they are super excited and fully engaged and their energy is high, they’re unstoppable,” Barrette said. “There’s nothing that’s getting in the way from them getting what they want.”
Cheboygan’s junior varsity team also earned a victory over Harbor Springs on Tuesday.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cheboygan volleyball takes care of Harbor Springs, improves to 3-0 in Northern Shores
Reporting by Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
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