By Greg Gielczyk
LocalSportsJournal.com
 
MANISTEE — A balanced attack helped the Ludington girls’ volleyball team survive a scare from archrival Manistee in Tuesday night’s conference match.
 
For the Orioles, it was a 3-0 sweep on the road, 26-24, 25-23 and 25-15.
 
Determined not to simply allow the Orioles to come into their house and roll over them, the Mariners slugged it out toe-to-toe.
 
“They gave us a run for our money,” said Ludington coach Liz Holden afterward. “They have the one girl outside (hitter) and the one girl in the middle that can actually hit pretty well. We struggled with it. We weren’t passing very well, and we weren’t communicating a whole lot. I subbed some people in who don’t normally play in certain positions.”
 
Ludington moved out to an early lead in the first set, but the Mariners climbed back into the fray and suddenly had it tied, 24-24, before the Orioles pulled out a 26-24 win.
 
The second set also was a tight affair, with the Orioles again zooming out to a five-point lead and looking like they would dominate.
 
But, the Mariners were having none of it and came roaring back, tying it twice late and seemingly ready to square the match at one set apiece.
 
Just as in the first set, the Orioles gritted their teeth and turned the Mariners away, 25-23. Ludington won the third set, 25-15.
 
“We played really, really well up in Kingsley (at a tournament last Saturday), and our goal today was to make them (Ludington) work for it,” Manistee coach Dana Wayward said. “We told ourselves we were not going to let them come in here and just take it. They had to earn every point. I think our girls made them sweat a little bit.”
 
Saviera Moser paced the Orioles with four aces and 12 digs, and Jordyn Anderson had 16 assists, five blocks, five digs and six kills.
 
Manistee’s leaders included Maddy Wayward, who was 6-of-9 serving and had 18 assists, Lindsey Gardner was 12-of-12 serving and added six kills, while Annamae Fett finished 10-of-13 in serves with two aces and seven attacks.
 
Ludington improved its record to 7-10-0 and next competes in the Calvin Christian Invite on Saturday.
 
The Mariners are 2-4-2 and host Traverse City Christian on Thursday.