By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
SAUGATUCK—Following the third set of its SAC Central showdown with visiting Delton on Tuesday, Sept. 27, the situation appeared rather bleak for Saugatuck.
But, as so often is the case, appearances were deceiving.
Despite being down 2-1, the Trailblazers rallied to win the final two sets and claim the 17-25, 26-24, 17-25, 26-24, 15-11 victory.
Saugatuck coach Sherri Austin had nothing but praise for the tenacity shown by her players.
“The girls scrapped out this win,” Austin said. “They had that never-give-up mentality and the continuous pursuit of a victory and they fought hard throughout the match.”
Kennedy Gustafson was one of several Saugatuck players to shine, as she racked up 15 kills, three blocks and two aces. She led the team in all three categories.
Jacey Merkle led with 17 digs, followed by Haley Rivera and Alyssa Ries with 13 each. Rivera also had nine assists, which was second on the team to Jenn Schock’s 11, while Ries was second to Gustafson with 11 kills.
Two days later, Saugatuck traveled to Parchment for a double dual against the home team and Kalamazoo Christian.
The Trailblazers finished the evening 1-1, beating Parchment 25-16, 25-13 and falling to Kalamazoo Christian 25-4, 25-9.
Schock led the team with nine assists and eight digs. Gustafson had six kills, while Hanna Walker served up three aces.
