More Than a Score: Cardinal Volleyball Continues to Grow

The Nest, Inside Orchard View Athletics
By: Justin Troyer
Presented by: Cadena Brothers Pizzeria

Muskegon, MI -- There are nights in high school athletics that are about more than what happens on the scoreboard.

Tuesday night was one of those nights inside The Nest.

Before Orchard View volleyball took the court against Ludington, Cardinals players had the opportunity to recognize members of the Orchard View staff who have made an impact on their lives by inviting them to the game. The pregame ceremony provided a special reminder that the relationships built inside a school often extend far beyond the classroom.

Then it was time to play volleyball.

The Cardinals would ultimately fall to the Ludington Orioles in straight sets, 15-25, 10-25 and 13-25.

But the final scores don't tell the entire story.

Ludington has established itself as the standard when it comes to West Michigan Conference volleyball, and Orchard View saw firsthand what that standard looks like. At the same time, there were moments throughout the match when the Cardinals showed signs that they are moving toward becoming a stronger team themselves.

For Orchard View, development is a process.

The Cardinals have just two seniors on the roster, leaving a young, underclassmen-heavy group learning the game, learning one another and learning how to compete at the varsity level.

They are learning in the trenches.

And players like sophomore Ava Dood are beginning to look more and more comfortable in the roles they have been asked to embrace by head coach Alicia Miller.

Dood wore the libero jersey Tuesday night, and Miller liked what she saw.

“Ava wore the libero jersey the way a libero should.”

The libero is a specialized defensive player whose primary responsibility is to provide strong back-row defense, and Dood embraced that role against Ludington.

She came up with several tough digs that kept rallies alive and gave the Cardinals opportunities to continue competing.

Miller said Dood also made important adjustments to her swings, approach and mindset, and those changes showed up on the court.

“She really adjusted her swings, her approach, and her mindset, and it paid off today,” Miller said. “She did a great job on the back row tonight and really stepped up for us.”

The first set saw Orchard View compete with Ludington for stretches before the Orioles pulled away.

The second set got away from the Cardinals, but Orchard View responded in the third, once again showing the fight and competitiveness that has become a part of this young team's identity.

Dood's defensive effort was a big part of that.

So was the play at the net, where Junior Aubrey Beckley provided several strong blocks to help the
Cardinals battle through the set.

Offensively, Orchard View was led in kills by Jasmine Bell and Breylin Breusch (Semkiw), with each recording two.

Bell also added two assists.

Haylee Doty led the Cardinals from the service line with three points, while Dood and Adrianna Thorsen each recorded an ace.

Defensively, Dood paced Orchard View with 14 digs in one of her strongest performances of the season.

For a team still finding its identity, those individual moments matter.

The Cardinals may not have gotten the result they wanted against one of the conference's top programs, but they showed the kind of effort that can accelerate the growth of a young team. Against a program that has set the conference standard, Orchard View found moments to compete, players stepping into bigger roles and plenty to build on.

With just two seniors on the roster, the Cardinals are learning through every practice, match and hard-fought rally. The results may not always be there yet, but the effort is — and for a young team, that's where the foundation is built.

One practice. One match. One rally at a time.

Photos: #9 Soph. Ava Dood, #2 Jun. Aubrey Beckley

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