The Ionia Varsity Volleyball team traveled to Lakewood for the CAAC White Conference Tournament Saturday. As the #1 seed after an undefeated regular season run, the Bulldogs had a bye the first round with a forfeit by Lansing Sexton. In the semi-final game Ionia matched up against Portland. The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick lead and efficiently finished out the first set 25-13. The 2nd set went back and forth until Ionia made a strong run to close out the match with a 25-19 finish. After a one match break Ionia stepped back on the court for the Finals against Lansing Catholic. After jumping out to the early lead, a few errors and misconnections saw the Bulldogs fall 20-25 in the 1st set. In the 2nd set, Ionia worked to find their pace but came up just short again dropping to the match with another 20-25 finish.
The Bulldogs were led offensively by Logan Thomas with 16 kills while Amaya Frias put down another 15. The offense was paced by Alli Shaw with 27 assists. Behind the line Frias and Aubree Shaw led the attack with 3 aces each, while Thomas dropped in another 2. Defensively Ionia was kept in system by Thomas with 16 digs while Frias kept another 15 in play. At the net Thomas, Frias, Adelyse Perry and Carmen Hoppough all had 1 block. The Bulldogs are now 20-11-1 overall and will be back on the court in their home gym for Senior Night on Thursday. Let’s pack the stands and celebrate these hardworking seniors & cheer on the team. Good work Bulldogs!
Ionia JV competed at the CAAC JV White Tournament hosted by Lakewood and came ready to battle! The Bulldogs opened the day against a tough Lakewood team, coming out on top in two sets (25-13, 25-16).
After a break to referee, Ionia knew they would need to be mentally prepared for a tough championship matchup against Lansing Catholic Central. The Bulldogs stepped up to the challenge, battled through two close sets, and came away with the championship win (29-27, 25-23)!
Alexa Petersen led the offense with 11 assists, added 4 aces, and made smart plays at the net. Bella Barr led the team with 12 kills and contributed 4 digs, while Ella White finished with 8 kills and 4 aces. Selina Stalker added 11 kills and 6 digs, and Alissa Castillo contributed 4 kills and 9 digs. Audrey Sprank brought aggressive net play, helping the Bulldogs compete at the net throughout the day.
Defensively, Brooklyn Castillo and Juliette Stoakes each tallied 13 digs, keeping the Bulldogs in rallies and extending plays. Evalyn Huested hustled all day and provided strong court coverage when her team needed it!