FLINT Valley Lutheran’s buzzsaw relied on plenty of finesse. But it was a buzzsaw, nonetheless. The Chargers stormed past Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest for a 3-0 sweep Tuesday in a Division 3 volleyball quarterfinal at Mott Community College. “We’ve got a target on our backs because people know that we’re solid all around, and they come out like a buzzsaw, and we’re just kind of working our way into the night,” Valley Lutheran coach Jon Frank said. “Five points later, what happened? “So we said let’s be the buzzsaw tonight. Let’s come out and just go after it while staying in control.” The Chargers took a 9-0 lead to start the first set on their way to a 25-20 win, then scored the first eight for a 25-3 win in the second set. A 25-21 win in the third set gave Valley Lutheran the 3-0 win and its first trip to the semifinals since 2019 and 2020. “It’s a big stage to play on,” Lutheran Northwest coach Sabrina Fanning said. “It was just a little bit of nerves and kind of a timid attitude. Valley Lutheran is a great team, and it’s a hard stage to play on. “We let them go on a few long service runs, and our girls kind of just got their heads down a little bit. They have a tough serving team with a lot of float serves. We had some communication errors, and it’s hard to work those out. They’re just a solid team. They picked up everything that we gave them.” According to Frank, part of Valley Lutheran’s success came from suppressing egos and emphasizing control. “We beat a lot of teams that just hammer the ball every time because we don’t do that,” Frank said. “We do so many control drills. You get tired of seeing some. “Our outsides, when they were off, they placed it. They didn’t over-commit. They didn’t drill it into the net. We know that we’re going to have to hit the ball a little bit harder, but if those shots present themselves, a point is a point whether it’s pretty or not. I’m proud of the girls because they like winning more than they like swinging hard . just by a little, because swinging hard feels good.” Linden Pomaville, Grace Parker and Reagan Webb frustrated the Crusaders, tipping the ball into open areas instead of going for the kill. “Linden just picked them apart, and frustrated them more than anybody,” Frank said. “She just gets in this zone where she just can’t miss, and it’s just finding the hole more than hitting it hard. “She can hit it hard, and she did a couple of times to get kills. But she was also able to pooch the ball over a little bit with a push and redirect it to a spot.” Pomaville credits pregame homework and quick thinking during the game. “When I’m in the air, I can usually see spots,” Pomaville said. “During practice and scrimmaging, I examine the teams and see how it is and where they are. That really helps.” Both Webb and Pomaville are juniors on a senior-less Valley Lutheran team. “There’s a difference between hitting it hard and hitting your spots,” Webb said. “They’re both beneficial at the right times, but you have to know when you’re on and when you’re off. “During practices every day and every week, we practice hitting every single shot you can probably think of. You have to get your finesse. It’s fun to slam the ball when you’re on, as long as you and your teammates are in control.” The Chargers take a 51-10-3 record into the Division 3 semifinal at 6: 30 p. m. Friday at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena against Kalamazoo Christian, which improved to 29-12-3 with a 12-25, 25-12, 25-15, 25-23 quarterfinal win over Pewamo-Westphalia. In 2019, Valley Lutheran lost to Schoolcraft (25-10, 25-11, 25-12), with Schoolcraft losing to Monroe St. Mary’s Catholic in the final (25-27, 25-21, 19-25, 25-18, 15-12). In 2020, the Chargers reached the semifinals and were set to face Schoolcraft again before they were forced to forfeit because of Covid. “In 2019, we knew there were two dominant teams (Schoolcraft and Monroe St. Mary’s) that nobody in the state was going to touch,” Frank said. “We don’t feel that way this year. It’s going to be 50-50. We’re going to be right there.” If Valley Lutheran wins, it advances to the Division 3 state final at 4: 30 p. m. Saturday at Kellogg Arena to face the winner of the other semifinal game between Kingsley (55-4-1) and Monroe St. Mary’s (26-4-1).
https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2025/11/valley-lutheran-storms-into-volleyball-semifinals-with-quarterfinal-sweep.html
Valley Lutheran storms into volleyball semifinals with quarterfinal sweep
