By Jim Goorman
LocalSportsJournal.com
The No. 1 ranked Division 3 Western Michigan Christian volleyball team showed its power and finesse with a four-game win over visiting Ludington. 
The Warriors (22-2, 1-0) began the evening with a 25-18 loss to Ludington but reversed their slow start and charged to a 3-1 Lakes 8 Conference win.
WMC’s Kyla Wiersema bumps the ball for WMC. Photo/Randy Riksen
Ludington (8-6 and 1-1) out matched WMC in the first set, using six unanswered points to gain a 10-5 advantage and ran away with game.
“Their energy level was higher than ours at the start,” said seventh-year WMC coach Trent Smiley. “They blocked Kyla (Wiersema), one of our strongest attackers immediately, and she starting tipping and that is not really her job – she is a spiker.”
The Warriors regrouped and played strong in the next three sets winning 25-17, 26-16, and 25-17 to record their first conference win. Z
The high energy level was contagious for WMC and it slowly wore the Orioles down.
“The lucky breaks that they had in the first set, started for us in the second set”, Smiley offered after the game. “In the second set, third and fourth set, we did not stop swinging and it made a huge difference.”
Maddie Wiersema had two aces, eight kills on 24 attacks and six blocks to lead WMC. Twinn sister Kyla Wiersema had 14 kills and three blocks.
“That is our strongest points, blocking and spiking,” stated Smiley whose team is led by the two six-foot Wiersema sisters along with freshman Abby Leffring.
Leffring finished with nine kills and 15 digs while Libby Mast added two blocks.
Kenda Young finished with 39 assists, 20 digs and two blocks while Haley Breuker had an ace and 18 digs for WMC.
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- Photo/Randy Riksen
