Under adverse circumstances, the Goodrich varsity volleyball team won two Genesee Area Conference matchups Jan. 26 to remain unbeaten in league play.
The host Martians defeated Montrose 25-6, 25-13, 25-15 and Bendle 25-16, 25-14 and 25-18. Goodrich is now 13-10-4 overall and 6-0 in the GAC.
The matchup came two days after Goodrich High School junior Kayla O’Mara died as a result of a car accident in Grand Blanc Township. Kayla’s twin sister, Kaitlin, and friend Danielle Bila were severely injured in the accident and remain hospitalized as of press time.
Before the match, Goodrich High School principal David St. Aubin asked the crowd to observe a moment of silence for the three girls. Several members of the team fought back tears during that time.
Goodrich coach Richard Sirna said it has been a very trying week at practices and during the matches as a result of the accident. The team dedicated their matches against Montrose and Bendle to the three girls, and after the matches, decided to dedicate the remainder of the season to them.
Sirna said Bila played freshman volleyball for the Martians, and had made the junior varsity team as a sophomore, but she decided to quit volleyball so she could run indoor track during the winter.
‘She’s the nicest kid ? she has a bright smile,? Sirna said.
Against Montrose, senior Alyssa Bertrand was perfect in setting during the match. Senior Tara Garman had 15 kills and was near perfect in attacking the ball. The tone for the match was set in game one, when junior Brittany Tiedeman served eight straight serves, including four aces, to win the game. Senior Nancy VanVlack was perfect in serving during the match. She served 12/12 with five aces.
Near perfect serving by the team fueled the victory for Goodrich. The Martians combined for a total of 64-of-68 serves.
Against Bendle, junior Ashley Short (libero) went 15-of-17 in serve/receive and added six digs to help the Martians win the match. Junior Renee Bell served six straight serves in game two and five straight serves in game three to help win the match.
Perfect serving by seniors Sarah Sweet and Katie Birch, juniors Ally Robb and Tiedeman and sophomore Amanda Skiver, who combined for a total 30-of-30 serves, fueled the win against Bendle. Garman and Birch combined for a total of 20 kills, while Bertrand was near perfect in setting, missing just one set with 22 assists.