Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette The Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes are all smiles as they pose with the Torch Lake volleyball trophy after defeating the Dollar Bay- Tamarack City Blue Bolts on Thursday in Dollar Bay.

By Eddie O’Neill

eoneill@mininggazette.com

DOLLAR BAY – The Lake Linden- Hubbell Lakes volleyball will keep the Torch Lake trophy alit for another year as they downed their cross-town rivals the Dollar Bay- Tamarack City Blue Bolts 3-1 (25-6, 21-24, 25-13, 25-18) on Thursday.

It was Lake Linden’s second win of the week and last game of the regular season.

“Our blocking tonight was really strong, and our defense was great,” noted coach Joslynn Perala, of Lake Linden-Hubbell.”

That was evident in the first set as the Lakes held the Blue Bolts to just six points in a 25-6 win. With Cleo Milkey and Isabella Tampas opening the service, the Lakes jumped out to a 10-2 lead. Teammate Alli Corrigan kept the girls going and moved them out to a 15-point lead and an eventual 19-point win.

While the Blue Bolts seemed to lack a spark in their step in the first set, they were on fire in the second. After ties at three and five, the Blue Bolts’ Kiera Isaacson put together a service run of 6 and moved the score to 13-7. Teammate Macy Jurgensen then added four from the service line to put the score at 19-13 and an eventual victory.

That was as good as it got for the Blue Bolts as the Lakes dominated the third and fourth with commanding leads. In the third set after ties at seven and nine, the Lakes’ Corrigan again Miley combines for nine points while serving and put the girls up 20-12. They went on to win the race to 25 with a score of 25-13.

The fourth set was much the same. The Lakes were strong in their attack and kept the Blue Bolts on the defensive. Milkey led the Lakes with 10 kills, five aces and eight digs. Teammate Emily Burnham had seven kills and six blocks. Corrigan finished this one out for the Lakes as she posted a service run of five and a 25-18 match-point win.

Friday’s game concluded the regular season for both teams. Districts begin on Monday. With that in mind, coach Perala noted,” We need to work on consistency. When we are up, we are up and playing well, but we cannot have lows like we did tonight in the second.”