Lancers net share of Red title L’Anse Creuse volleyball ties for first in division By Jon Malavolti HARRISON TOWNSHIP —L’Anse Creuse senior Christina DeMaster jumped up at the net and blocked the ball back over to the Grosse Pointe North side. It hit the floor, and just like that, the Lancers had a share of the 2009 Macomb Area Conference Red Division title. The players shook hands with the Norsemen after the Oct. 27 home division match and joined together to celebrate while the scoreboard flashed, “Congratulations Lancers MAC Red Champs.” “That brings tears; it’s a tearjerker,” L’Anse Creuse senior Torre Palermino said of the scoreboard message. Palermino, in her fourth year on varsity, was one of several veteran Lancers players overjoyed to finally win the title after coming so close in the past. L’Anse Creuse, which finished 8-2 in the Red this year, was two games out of first last year and one game out three seasons ago. “That was our goal this year, to win the Red,” Palermino said. “I’m very excited.” Marysville saw its streak of five consecutive outright Red Division titles end this year, as it shared the title with the Lancers. “It is exciting,” L’Anse Creuse coach Melissa Chase said. “It’s been Marysville and Fraser for as long as I can remember. “I think it’s a huge boost for the girls because a lot of them have been on varsity for a few years, and come close every year. So it’s nice to see them get over that hump and really do it.” The coach said the team relied on its strengths to finish in first, including experience and versatility. “We have a ton of hitters who all became weapons at various points of the season,” Chase said. “We had some girls who really started off strong, and other ones who came on strong in the last week or two. “That’s just really helped us take our game to a new level and keeps our practices competitive.” The Lancers completed their league home season undefeated, topping the Norsemen in four games. L’Anse Creuse’s two division losses came on the road at Macomb Dakota and Marysville. “It’s a great accomplishment, because it’s a whole season thing,” Chase said. “We had a few letdowns here and there, but overall we played pretty well from start to finish.” The coach noted how tough it is to remain on top in the competitive division. “Any off night, and you’re in trouble,” Chase said. “But it really helps us get better, because we have to continually get better every time we hit the floor.” “It’s so tough,” Palermino added. “All these teams are really good; it could have been anyone this year. We’re just really excited that it’s us.” Chase said she hoped the improvement the team made and confidence gained from winning the division would roll into positive momentum in the postseason, when the Lancers will look to duplicate their success from last season when they advanced to the Class A quarterfinals. “We’re hoping that, just the battles and close games that we had every night in the Red, will help us in districts,” the coach said. “Playing under pressure in big game situations, that’s something you kind of get used to in the Red.” You can reach Sports Writer Jon Malavolti at jmalavolti@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1040. |
