Lakeland outlasts Milford in district opener
WEST BLOOMFIELD >> For a volleyball team that has aspirations for a big postseason run, Lakeland couldn’t have been ecstatic to draw Milford in the opening round of district play.
Along with being the local rival to the Eagles, the Mavericks have played the LVC champions incredibly tough in two previous matches this season.
That wasn’t much different on Tuesday at West Bloomfield High School, as Lakeland held off a late rally from Milford to pick up a 2517, 25-10, 25-27, 25-20 victory in the Division 1 district opener.
“Milford is a good team. They are scrappy and competitive and have great players. They are our cross-town rival. Everyone is friends because they are from the same community, and having that cross-town rival is definitely fun,” Lakeland coach Meghan Polce said.
During the regular season, Lakeland went five sets with Milford and had to win the last two to escape with a conference win. In the rematch during the LVC Tournament, the two split the first two sets by two points each before the Eagles escaped with a 15-10 win in the third.
On Tuesday, Lakeland looked like it was set to buck the trend by imposing its will in the opening two sets.
In the first, Lakeland started off with an 8-0 run only to see Milford quickly fight back to even the set at 10-10. However, Rachel Zurek put down one of her five kills in the set to spark a 9-1 run that allowed Lakeland to pull away.
The second set was all Eagles, as Milford didn’t have an answer for their serving and blocking.
For the night, Lakeland would tally a total of nine aces and 13 blocks. An addition of six-foot sophomore middle Audrey Robinson to the lineup for the postseason provided an extra boost for Lakeland’s blocking effort.
“We brought up (Robinson) from JV and it’s made a world of difference. Bringing her up gives us a little bit more height and little bit more blocking, and it also gives us more offensive options,” Polce said.
“We are able to move a couple of players around and that has given us a breath of fresh air and a lot more hitting options.”
Following the lopsided second set, Milford coach Annie Malburg called the team together and reminded them of their potential. The Mavericks came out much more motivated in the third.
Using a balanced offense behind the likes of senior Ashley Murray and junior Lydia Michelin, the Mavericks fought off set point at 25-24 and scored the final three points of the third to win 27-25.
“I just told the girls that we were better than what we were showing and we weren’t going to go home with that level of play,” Malburg said. “My seniors have shown up with a ton of heart all season and they have embraced the adversity and played with a lot of determination. That didn’t change (Tuesday), it just took us some time to get rolling.”
Milford was right with Lakeland in the fourth as well, tied up at 17-17. But, the Eagles got back to their strengths. Seniors Olivia Krill and Vayla Kammer combined for a key block to help spark an 8-3 run to end the match.
Zurek put down six kills in the set and finished with a match-high 20 to lead Lakeland.
“We talked about staying strong and keeping our head in the game and staying focused. We needed to pick up the energy a little bit, so we did that. I think it really showed on the court,” Zurek said of the fourth set.
Robinson had three blocks for Lakeland while Krill had four and Eve Martin had 3.5. Martin also added 13 kills while combining
setting duties with sophomore Kenzie McCombs.
Murray had 13 kills to lead the Mavericks while Michelin finished with 10 and senior Alexis Barber had five.
The Mavericks finish the season at 25-10-2, graduating a class of seven seniors.
“We had a great senior class. The biggest thing they brought to the court was their grit and determination. They are competitors and that sets the tone for the whole team,” Malburg said of her seniors. “Each team has their own identity and I feel this senior class raised the bar by leading with their determination.”
Lakeland improves to 35-3 on the year with the victory. The Eagles advance to Thursday’s district semifinal at West Bloomfield where it will face another LVC foe in Walled Lake Western. Lakeland has won all five sets with the Warriors in 2022.
The back-to-back LVC champions are seeking a second consecutive district championship as well behind their class of seven seniors.
“I’ve said this a ton, but I have a very special group of seniors. They love each other and they play for each other. They are friends on the court, they are friends off the court,” Polce said. “It’s great having that relationship with the girls and that trust being there. Having everyone buy in and having that senior leadership makes a world of difference.”
Thursday’s district semifinal will begin at 5 p.m.