No. 4 Cass City Holds Off Millington in Three-Set BTC Battle

Cardinals push Red Hawks to the limit in opening and closing sets before Cass City earns 3-0 conference victory

CASS CITY — The Millington varsity volleyball team gave No. 4-ranked Cass City all it could handle in two tightly contested sets Thursday night, but the Red Hawks came away with a 3-0 victory in Big Thumb Conference action.

The final score showed a sweep, but the match was considerably closer than that result might suggest.

Millington had an opportunity to grab early momentum in an extended opening set. The Cardinals battled Cass City point-for-point and pushed the Red Hawks beyond the normal 25-point finish before Cass City escaped with a 28-26 victory.

The Red Hawks carried that momentum into the second set and created more separation, taking a 25-18 win to move within one set of the match.

Millington refused to go quietly.

Facing a 2-0 deficit, the Cardinals responded with another strong effort in the third. Much like the opener, neither side was able to create much breathing room. Millington remained within striking distance late, but Cass City made the plays it needed down the stretch to secure a 26-24 victory and complete the sweep.

Despite the loss, Millington demonstrated its ability to compete with one of the area's highly ranked teams. Just four total points separated the Cardinals and Red Hawks across the first and third sets.

Kallie Stevens led Millington offensively with eight kills while contributing 11 digs. Carly Ehrmantraut delivered an all-around performance with seven kills and 22 digs.

Gianna Nitz added five kills, while Brooklyn Barden recorded four.

Setter Kate Murray directed the Cardinals' attack with 23 assists.

Millington also received plenty of production from its back row. Grace Ehrmantraut led the Cardinals with 24 digs, Carly Ehrmantraut added 22, Stevens finished with 11 and EmmaLeigh Peters contributed 10.

FINAL: Cass City 3, Millington 0

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Closer than the sweep indicates: Millington lost the first and third sets by only two points apiece, forcing Cass City beyond 25 points in both.

Strong defensive effort: Grace Ehrmantraut and Carly Ehrmantraut combined for 46 digs, while four Cardinals reached double figures.

Stevens leads the attack: Kallie Stevens paced Millington with eight kills and also contributed defensively with 11 digs.

Murray distributes the offense: Kate Murray recorded 23 assists while directing a Millington attack that received kills from several different players.

Back home next: Millington returns to its home court Thursday, Sept. 24, when the Cardinals host Reese at 7:30 p.m.