LocalSportsJournal.com
SHELBY — In the final West Michigan Conference-Rivers girls volleyball match of the season, Hart started strong but then lost steam and dropped a 3-0 decision to Shelby on the road Tuesday night.
Hart played even with the Tigers throughout the first set, but couldn’t quite get the rally it needed and finished with a 19-25 loss.
The Pirates may also have lost some of their confidence in that first-set loss, as they lost the second set by a wider margin, 13-25 and then dropped the third set, 9-25.
“It was a great wrapup to the season,” Shelby coach Tom Weirich said. “I was a little concerned early in the match, simply because we haven’t played in over a week.
“Hart had a solid game plan, and played us pretty even in set one. I think I was most impressed with the serving tonight. As a team were served at 93 percent and tallied 10 aces.”
Shelby made it through the conference schedule with just one loss, to North Muskegon, something it hasn’t done since 2005.
Also, Morgan Weirich recorded her 2,000th career dig and Navea Gauthier notched her 1,000th career kill, a huge milestone for a sophomore.
On the night Gauthier had 23 digs and 27 kills. Weirich had 18 digs and two aces.
Aubrey Horton contributed 34 assists and three aces. Lee finished with two aces. Gauthier and Claire Gowell each had one block.
Leaders for the Pirates included Mariana VanAgtmael – one ace, one assist, and 13 digs; Addi Hovey – one ace, one assist, eight kills, two blocks, and one dig.
Gabby Schmieding – one kill and two digs; Rayah Helenhouse – three digs; Kelsey Copenhaver – two aces, three assists, one kill, and three digs.
Grace Gamble – two aces, one kill, and one dig; and MaKayla Rockwell – five assists and five digs.
The Pirates fell to 23-7-5 on the season and 4-2 in the WMC Rivers Division. Hart hosts its final home match of the season Thursday against Mason County Eastern, when the Pirates will honor their seniors.
Shelby is also at home Thursday in a non-conference crossover match with Manistee.
There are some errors in this article. Shelby defeated North Muskegon earlier this season which makes them undefeated in the conference, Gauthier recorded her 1,000th kill about a month ago and the correct name is Audrey Horton.