Ann Arbor Pioneer and Ann Arbor Skyline varsity volleyball faced off in a class A district semi-finals match on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Both teams warmed up before timed warm-ups began. On Skyline’s half of the court Maddie Roberts and Ella Eliason warmed up their sets with Coach Doug Day and Coach Ashley Gray while the rest of the team split up into pairs to pass. Pioneer’s setters, Amy Dedoyard and Faith Whitley warmed up their sets as well.

Pioneer led the first set defeating Skyline 25-13. Pioneer’s Jane Bunch served the first two points of the set, Pioneer’s Janell Williams and Celia Chagnovich got a block ending the second point, but Tylar Benion’s kill won the point for Skyline. Pioneer’s Madison Andrews had a serving run of six points, bringing the score to 11-3. Skyline’s Molly Johnson got a block, winning the ball back for Skyline at 23-13.

Skyline sophomore Johnson started the second set strong scoring a block with senior Celia Arsen on the first point and getting a kill on the second. On the third point senior Chandra Jackson served an ace. When Pioneer closed the gap between the scores Skyline coach Deanna Day called a timeout, when the teams went back on to the court Arsen got a tip.

The third set was led by Pioneer. The game was back and forth until Skyline’s Jen Brightmon and Benion each got a kill during sophomore Robert’s four point serving run. Pioneer’s Faith Whitley served five points in a row, surpassing Skyline’s score, and Bunch and Chagnovich scored another block. The game was kept decently close until Pioneer’s Grace Krapohl, got nine serves in a row, leaving Skyline down by twelve. Jackson ended this streak with a hit but the gap was too large for Skyline to close at this point in the game. Pioneer’s Dedoyard served the last three points of the game. The ending score was 25-11.

Skyline beat Pioneer by a similar margin that they were beat by in the previous set. Skyline’s Johnson got yet another kill and Johnson and Benion got a block. Benion’s nine point serving run, consisting of three aces, established a good lead for Skyline and forced Pioneer coach, Amy Hoag-Longhi to call a timeout. Skyline sophomore Liv Baugh won the ball back for her team on a tip after Pioneer’s Brielle Brown served once. Skyline won the fourth set 25-12 yielding a fifth set to fifteen.

Skyline’s fifth set starters were Johnson, Arsen, Baugh, Jackson, Sackman, and Benion and Pioneer’s starters were Janell Williams, Andrews, Chagnovich, Krapohl, Brown and Whitley. Skyline started the final set strong, getting a five point lead right away, while Coach Hoag-Longhi called a timeout for Pioneer. Dedoyard served once but Arsen’s block ended the point. Williams won the ball back for Pioneer but the team missed their serve. Krapohl’s helped tighten the gap and forced Skyline to call a timeout but Skyline won the ball back and Robert’s serves reinstated the previous six point gap. When Pioneer got the opportunity to serve again, the serve was missed.

Things were not looking bright for Pioneer, Skyline only had to get two more points to end the set and advance to district finals, but they didn’t give up. After four of CHS senior and Pioneer varsity volleyball captain Angel Rich’s serves Skyline called a timeout, but that didn’t slow Pioneer down. Rich served four more points.

“She was focused, she put the ball where it needed to be,” Hoag-Longhi said of Rich’s serves. Pioneer finished the match with a two point lead, a final score of 15-13 when Williams single blocked the final hit.

“It was electric!” Hoag-Longhi said of the win.