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BATTLE CREEK — As conference tournaments approach, Cedar Catholic split a pair of Mid-State Conference regular-season matches this past week with a hard-fought 3-2 match win over Battle Creek on the road Sept. 26 and another five-set match, this one at home to Guardian Angels Central Catholic on Sept. 28.
After dropping the first two sets 25-19 and 25-15 to the Lady Bluejays, Cedar Catholic got things going in the third set to extend the match.
And that third set was a battle. It took a couple of extra points to keep the match going and the Lady Trojans prevailed 27-25.
Cedar Catholic took set four 25-20 to set up the sprint to 15 in the fifth and final set.
The last set was a little anticlimactic as Guardian Angels pulled away for a 15-6 win to close out the match.
Grace Wortmann controlled the net for the Lady Trojans with 12 kills in the match. Melayna McGregor added 10 and Lauren Bernecker rifled down nine.
McGregor also had a couple of service aces and 15 set-assists to record a double-double. Lyndsey Hamilton led Cedar Catholic with 18 assists.
Annika Kuehn bumped up 34 quality passes; McKinlee Lammers had 23.
Hamilton recorded a doubledouble of her own, adding 11 digs to her assist total.
Katy Jones led the way with 27 digs, Kuehn had 12, Lammers added 10 and McGregor just missed a tripledouble with nine digs.
Lexi Eickhoff patrolled the net defensively and came away with 11 blocks, Lauren Bernecker added six and Brynn Bernecker had five.
In Battle Creek, Cedar Catholic came from behind twice to swipe the match.
The Lady Trojans dropped the opening set 25-17 before rebounding to take set two, 25-19.
Battle Creek responded to take the third set, 25-19, but Cedar Catholic turned the tables in the fourth set by the same 25-19 score.
The Lady Trojans took control late in set five to close out the match with a 15-11 win.
Eickhoff led a balanced Cedar Catholic hitting attack with eight winners on the night. McGregor had seven; Lauren Bernecker and Addison Walter each had six.
Bernecker also served four aces; Walter had three.
Hamilton and McGregor split the set-assists with 13 each; Jones had 28 solid passes and Kuehn registered 16.
Jones also had 25 digs in the match; Hamilton and McGregor each had nine.
Eickhoff was a menace again at the net with 11 stops. Brynn Bernecker, Lauren Bernecker, Walter and Wortmann all had four blocks at the net.
The Lady Trojans were scheduled to go to a triangular Oct. 5 in Wynot with the Lady Blue Devils and Ponca before a home date with Laurel-Concord- Coleridge on Oct. 10.
GACC defeated Cedar Catholic 25-19, 25-15, 25-27, 20-25, 15-6. CEDAR CATHOLIC (12-11): Grace Wortmann 12k, 1b, 5d, 2r; Annika Kuehn 1a, 12d, 1s, 34r; Lexi Eickhoff 6k, 11b; Faith Christensen 1r; Lauren Bernecker 9k, 6b, 4d, 7r; McKinlee Lammers 10d, 1s, 23r; Lyndsey Hamilton 2k, 11d; 18s, Melayna McGregor 10k, 2a, 3b, 9d, 15s, 7r; Addison Walter 3k, 2b, 6d, 3r; Brynn Bernecker 2k, 5b, 3d; Katy Jones 1k, 27d. Cedar Catholic defeats Battle Creek 1725, 25-19, 19-25, 25-19, 15-11. CEDAR CATHOLIC: Wortmann 2k, 4b, 6d, 2r; Kuehn 7d, 16r; Eickhoff 8k, 11b, 1d; L. Bernecker 6k, 4a, 4b, 2d, 5r; Katelyn Arens 1k; Lammers 4d, 8r; Hamilton 3k, 1a, 9d, 13s; McGregor 7k, 2b, 9d, 13s, 9r; Walter 6k, 3a, 4b, 3d, 3r; B. Bernecker 2k, 4b, 1r; Jones 25d, 3s, 28r.
