Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
WHITEHALL — Sidney Shepherd picked a good night to reach a milestone. Her Whitehall volleyball team picked a good time to beat the arch rival for the first time this season.
Host Whitehall earned a tough, five-set victory over Montague in a Division 2 district opener Monday night as Shepherd, a 5-foot-8 junior setter, reached 2,000 assists in her career.
Whitehall won the first two games, 28-26 and 25-18, before Montague rallied to take the next two, 25-20, 25-17. The Vikings, who have been playing better volleyball of late, had enough in the tank to win the fifth and deciding set, 15-11.
Whitehall (17-26) advances to Wednesday’s 7 p.m. district semifinal and will take on Fremont, another West Michigan Conference Lakes Division foe.
Montague, which featured a young team, closes the season with an 18-20-4 record.
Here are more details and notables:
- Montague beat Whitehall in the teams’ previous two meetings this season. On Sept. 19 at Whitehall, Montague won in four sets (25-18, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22). On Oct. 14 in a Greater Muskegon Athletic Association tournament first-round match, Montague beat Whitehall, 22-25, 25-17, 15-7.
- Shepherd finished the night with 53 assists, 13 digs, six kills, and two aces. She entered the match with 1,956 career assists, so now she sits at 2,009.
- Whitehall senior hitter Kayla Mulder finished with 26 kills, 16 digs, and three blocks.
- Whitehall senior hitter Arianna Black had 17 kills, 15 digs, five blocks, and three aces.
- Whitehall junior Bella Fogus totaled 19 digs and six kills.
- Whitehall senior Reese Milliron had 13 digs.
- Whitehall junior Brianna Betz added two aces.
- Montague junior Maizie Collins totaled 17 kills and 16 digs.
- Montague junior Ava Pumford had 14 kills and two blocks.
- Montague junior Jaelyn Sundberg notched 48 assists and 13 digs.
- Montague junior Jordan Netcott had 15 digs, eight kills, and two aces.
- Montague senior Alissa Wynn finished with 21 digs and four aces.
- Montague senior Britta Johnson had 12 digs, nine kills, and two aces.
- Montague returns a vast majority of its roster next season. The Wildcats had only four seniors on their roster this season.
- The last time Whitehall faced Fremont, on Oct. 3 at Whitehall, the visiting Packers came away with the WMC Lakes Division sweep (25-18, 25-14, 25-20). The Vikings are now playing their best volleyball of the season.
