Onaway fights back from first-set loss, tops Inland Lakes in SVC volleyball showdown

ONAWAY – The Onaway Cardinals are officially in the driver’s seat to win a Ski Valley Conference volleyball title.

Behind another resilient performance, the Cardinals found a way to avenge a slow start and fight back with a 3-1 home victory over rival Inland Lakes (14-25, 28-26, 25-16, 25-19) in a battle of conference unbeatens on Tuesday night.

Here’s some takeaways from a pivotal night in the Ski Valley.

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Overcoming adversity again

The Cardinals (21-6-2, 7-0 Ski Valley) are still unbeaten in conference play, but it hasn’t been easy. Just last week, they were nearly upset by Johannesburg-Lewiston. Despite a few injuries to players, Onaway gave it a go on Tuesday.

Unfortunately for them, it didn’t go so well early on when they were beaten soundly by the Bulldogs in the first set. But instead of panicking, the Cardinals countered by taking the next three sets and topping their rivals.

“I’m really, really pleased with their ability to deal with adversity,” Onaway coach Steve Watson said. “Losing 14-25, that’s not the way you want to come out, but I felt like we could still turn it around. Indian River, I felt was the most dangerous team in the conference attacking-wise, for sure. They’ve got hitters and power all over the place.

“We were fortunate enough to come out on top against a really good team.”

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The turning point

Trailing 21-17 and staring down a two-set deficit, the Cardinals began to turn things around in the second set behind scrappy defense and quality serving. Led by the serving of Marley Szymoniak and Ema DeMaestri, the Cardinals eventually caught up, took the set and evened the match in dramatic fashion.

After the Bulldogs (17-8, 6-1) committed an attacking error, DeMaestri served an ace to give Onaway a momentum-boosting triumph. From there, the Cardinals put it all together, while Inland Lakes struggled to keep up with their rivals.

“The second set was key – that could’ve gone either way,” Watson said. “It sounds weird, but I wasn’t overly stressed had we dropped the second set, because I knew we were doing the right things now, but when you get close and get the extra points and extra chances to win, that can really hurt you. When we won that second set, we were on the front foot the rest of the way.”

The Cardinals saw a plethora of players contribute, led by Grace Watson, who tallied nine kills, 23 assists, 15 digs and four aces, while Sadie Decker tallied 14 kills and 23 digs, Ella Lintz had 24 digs, seven kills and two blocks, DeMaestri added 25 digs, seven aces and five kills, Carley Karsten tallied 20 digs, seven assists and two kills, Szymoniak recorded 10 digs and three aces, and freshman Jerzie Garms chipped in with three kills.

Onaway hosts Alcona on Thursday.

Still a chance

While the Bulldogs didn’t win on Tuesday, they’re still very much in the Ski Valley title race. However, they’ll need to basically win out and get some help from others along the way.

Delivering a strong performance was junior Chloe Robinson, who had a strong attacking night for the Bulldogs, as well as Jenna Stubbs, who came up with another solid all-around display.

Stats for Inland Lakes will be provided once they become available.

Inland Lakes returns to action when in travels to Mancelona on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

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: Onaway fights back from first-set loss, tops Inland Lakes in SVC volleyball showdown