by Ellen Shuster

September 11 – It was wins all around for the North Woods volleyball teams at home as they battled the Greenway Raiders. The 7th grade won with a score of 2-0 (25-19, 26-24). The 8th grade team followed with their own win of 2-0 (25-8, 25-10). Meanwhile, the JV pulled out a 2-0 (25-11, 25-22) win. Finally, fans saw the Varsity beat the undefeated Raiders with a score of 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-23, 15-13).

The first set was a fantastic display of power hitters as Greenway’s Johnson sisters Ava and Ari traded hits with North Woods’ outside hitters Izzy Pascuzzi and Lauren Burnett. Greenway took an early lead and held it for a first-set win. The Grizzlies took the first three points in the second set, eager to show that they were here to fight. The Raiders took up the challenge and tied at 7-7. A few errors put the Grizzlies behind. Then it was the Raiders’ turn as errors on their side put the Grizzlies back in the lead. Greenway called a timeout at 16-14, but the Grizzlies continued to pull ahead and finished with a strong lead.

In the third set, the Grizzlies rode the tide of their second-set win and started out with a five-point lead, but a solid response by the Raiders saw the set tie at 9-9. This time it was the Grizzlies’ turn to call time out at 14-16. They came back and tied at 16, but went behind again. The Grizzlies reached deep, but as they saw the third set slip away, they had to look to the fourth to stay in the match.

Once again the Grizzlies took the first point of the fourth set. The Raiders answered and fans watched as possession and points went back and forth throughout with a smattering of offensive points and errors in equal measure. The Grizzlies started to look locked in to take the fourth and force a fifth se, but the Raiders took a timeout at 22-18 which swung momentum in their favor and the Grizzlies were forced to take their timeout at 24-23. They came back on the court with determination and won in one possession with a kill by Lauren Burnett.

The fifth set continued in the close nature of the match thus far and North Woods won with the minimum required 2 points to continue their undefeated season with a conference record of 6-0.