Country Day defeats Lutheran North 3-0 to take regional title
The Yellowjackets, who are currently ranked second in the state, beat the Mustangs in straight sets to secure their fourth regional championship in six seasons.
By Samuel Hayes ·
Detroit Country Day beat No. 6 Macomb Lutheran North 25-18, 25-18, and 25-14 on Thursday night at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.
The victory gives the Yellowjackets their third consecutive regional title and their fourth such crown in the last six years. They finish the regular season with a record of 20-8-1. Lutheran North, which holds a 41-4-0 record, had six seniors playing their final high school match.
Country Day’s path to the final was not smooth. On Tuesday, the team struggled to defeat unranked Linden 3-2 in the regional semifinals. They trailed 12-6 in the fifth set before rallying to win. Coach Kim Lockhart described that game as a wake-up call. She said the team had to get its act together and play with more intention against Lutheran North.
Lockhart noted that the team was finally healthy. She mentioned that injuries had forced them to play many games without their best players this season. She said, “I think right now it was kind everybody’s healthy. Finally.”
The Yellowjackets controlled the first two sets. In the first set, they were tied 13-13 before closing out with a 12-5 run. Senior Leah Green recorded four kills during that stretch. In the second set, Country Day built a 9-2 lead. They only fell behind once, at 17-16, before closing the set with an 8-1 run. Potapenko and Green each added three kills in the final moments.
Lutheran North started the third set well. Senior Savannah Cassidy served an ace to help the Mustangs take an early lead. However, they could not sustain momentum. Country Day outscored them 22-9 in the final set to secure the sweep.
Green led Country Day with 16 kills, two blocks, and five service points. Four of those service points were aces. Senior Aliyah Potapenko had 11 kills and six blocks. Junior Shalamar Guerrant recorded 12 kills. Sophomore Cornelia Friedrich added nine kills and two blocks. Senior Grace Cassise contributed five service points, two of which were aces.
For Lutheran North, senior Leighton Garner led the team with six kills and two blocks. The Mustangs set a school record for wins this season. They also finished as Blue Water Area Conference co-champions and district champions. Coach Paul Drdul called it the best season in school history. He noted, “We were ranked in the top 10 in the state for most of the year and so is Country Day.”
Drdul pointed out that Country Day had a different lineup than when they beat Lutheran North in five games last month. He said the Mustangs struggled to get blocks on the Yellowjackets in the first game. He added that Country Day was able to score points at a better rate than in their previous meeting.
Country Day will play Richmond in the state quarterfinals on Tuesday. The match is scheduled for 5 p.m. at St. Clair Community College SC4 Fieldhouse. Richmond is an honorable mention team. The Yellowjackets are the two-time defending Division 2 state champions. They aim to return to Battle Creek for the state tournament.
Green, who played on the two state championship teams, said the team came together on Thursday night. She stated, “We all knew we wanted this (regional title). We were all fighting for the seniors, especially for the seniors who couldn’t play or who sat out for periods of time.”
