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CHURCHILL — It wasn’t a polished performance by any means, but Manhattan Christian punched its ticket to next week’s divisional tournament Thursday in the Memorial Event Center.
The No. 1 Eagles swept Shields Valley 25-19, 25-19, 25-11 in a quarterfinal match of the District 12C Tournament. Manhattan Christian advances to the Friday’s undefeated semifinal and will play No. 2 Gardiner at 12:15 p.m.
The championship match is scheduled for 5:15 p.m., and the top four teams move on to next week.
“We just need to make sure that we’re taking care of our bodies, eating well, sleeping well, and we know how to play,” Eagles head coach Hanna VanDyk said of the team’s preparation for Day 2. “This team is so talented, and I think they do a really good job. There’s so many different options for us. So if one person’s having a bad game, somebody else can step up and take over. I think we just have to play like how we know how to play and not worry about the little noise and all the extra stuff. Play our game.”
Manhattan Christian’s Markelle Johnson goes up for an attack Thursday against Shields Valley in a second-round match of the District 12C Tournament in the Memorial Event Center.
Manhattan Christian (16-0) leaned on its depth against the Rebels with middle blocker Emily Straatman out of the lineup. The 6-3 junior rolled her ankle earlier in the week at practice and may not participate at all during the tournament.
A consistence front row presence, Straatman’s absence disrupted the team’s chemistry, especially in a sluggish first set.
“We had four service errors, which is very unlike us,” noted VanDyk. “Our attack percentage was pretty low. I felt like we just weren’t very cohesive.”
Straatman averages around nine kills per match and provides steady leadership in the front row. VanDyk noted she’s ‘loud” and “vocal”. Sophomore Noami James filled her void in the rotation, playing opposite junior Markelle Johnson.
“I was happy with how we played for having to switch, especially the third set. I think we got a little bit more comfortable,” VanDyk said. “I’d like us to continue, like take that third set and grow from there, and forget about the first and second.”
The Eagles trailed late in the first set but took control after Ashlyn Burley scored on a kill to knot the score at 19. It sparked a 6-0 run.
In the second set, Manhattan Christian trailed 15-13 after allowing an ace. But the team finished strong again, finishing on a 12-4 run, including two more kills by Burley and an ace from Brielle Sander.
The Eagles finally looked the part of a No. 1 seed in the third set, jumping out to a 5-1 lead en route to victory. Burley capped the match with the last of her kills match-high 13 kills.
Van Kirk finished with 10 kills and 13 digs, while Alexa Van Kley and Bell Cash-Rich had 14 and 13 digs, respectively. Van Kley also dished out 20 assists.
Boxscore
Manhattan Christian def. Shields Valley 25-19, 25-19, 25-11.
SHIELDS VALLEY – Stats not provided.
MANHATTAN CHRISTIAN (16-0) – Kills: 40 (Ashlyn Burley 13, Karissa Van Kirk 10). Digs: 55 (Alexa Van Kley 14, Bella Cash-Rich 13, Van Kirk 13). Blocks: 5 (Burley 3, Markelle Johnson 2). Aces: 9 (Brielle Sander 4, Brooklyn Ray 3). Assists: 39 (Van Kley 20, Sander 18).