AUBURN, MI – Bay City Western gets a grander kind of giddy, a better kind of bubbly and finer kind of fiery when Bay City Central is in the gym.
Everything about the Warriors seemed much-improved on rivalry night.
“With a rival like this, they were excited before the game and probably amped up even during the day at school,” first-year Western coach Jessie Grant said. “They knew this was going to be a fun one.”
Looking for a spark to get their season on the move, the Warriors may have found it with their chief rival in the house. Western was sharp throughout the clash for a 25-22, 25-19, 25-15 victory over the Wolves for their first Saginaw Valley League win of the year.
“It’s always exciting to see the team play with chemistry and have fun again,” Grant said. “They got excited every time somebody made a good play. It’s just a fun time when everybody is working together.”
The win was Western’s second in a row against Central in SVL play after losing five straight showdowns. Central leads the always-spirited league series 14-13 since 2000.
The big win was a timely one for the Warriors. They delivered a star-spangled start to the season by capturing the Bay County Championship trophy for the first time since 2018.
But it’s been hit-and-miss from there. Western dropped its first four Saginaw Valley League contests and was fresh off a tough five-set loss to Saginaw Heritage on Thursday.
So the Warriors were in need of some positive vibes when it took the court against Central. And the cross-town clash seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. Playing before a spirited crowd, Western won a tight battle in Game 1 then never relented its momentum.
Western’s Azalea Tatrow emerged as a difference-maker for the Warriors. Generally relegated to the front row as a middle blocker, the senior got an opportunity to play all-around in the big clash and rose to the occasion.
“She ended up leading us in digs and had some back-row kills,” Grant said. “She brought a lot of energy and lot of skills. Her play back there was exciting to see.”
Addy Lewandowski and Zoe Ziehmer led the attack for Western and added three aces apiece. Addyson Smith delivered nine assists while Tatrow came through with seven digs.
The performance just might provide the jolt Western has needed to get things rolling.
“We’ve had our ups and down, but today we were more consistent with serving and hitting,” Grant said. “As long as we focus on those fundamental skills, we’ll be all right.
“My goal coming up is to maintain our focus for full games and play our volleyball game. We want to go with our strengths and pull out some more wins in the conference.”
Central is also hunting for a spark in its season of struggles. The Wolves have just one win on the year and are sitting at 0-5 in the SVL.
“We struggled throughout the match in serve reception,” Central coach Christine Davila said. “We are not giving enough attention to detail and focusing on the now of the play.”
Davila highlighted the play of setter Brynn Corrion and hitter Alayna Wrzesinski, who connected on a series of key plays for the Wolves.
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