LAUREL – When Emry Claeys heats up, there is no slowing her down.
The Meridian junior outside hitter slammed in a career-high 34 kills on .359 hitting in the Trojans’ 3-1 victory (25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 25-14) over Lynden on Oct. 12. Meridian coach Shannon Claeys said she believes that mark also set a new school record.
“Emry was kind of on fire,” Shannon Claeys said. “She was putting the ball away.”
Meridian dug deep in each of the first three sets, overcoming early deficits and turning them into wins. When the Trojans needed a score, Emry Claeys was there to make good on a well-placed pass.
“That [kill total] was shocking. I feel like I really homed in this game, and my teammates were always there lifting me up,” Emry Claeys said. “I feel like that just really helps us bring it together.”
Lynden was without junior outside hitter Ashley Shumate, a key piece of their offense. Shumate is dealing with an injury that has held her out for “quite a while,” said Lynden coach Chris Elsner. Her timetable for return is unknown.
The inaugural set included 11 ties and five lead changes. Meridian’s 7-4 run at the end of the frame gave it the first of three 25-23 set victories.
Lynden controlled most of the second, racing out to a 9-3 lead. The Trojans retaliated with a strong run, taking a 16-15 advantage as the final stretch approached. Despite both teams trading points, Meridian never relinquished the lead to win it 25-23 once again.
The third set began the same. Lynden started strong, but Meridian stormed back. This time, however, it was the Lions who finished hot. Trailing 23-22, Emry Claeys hammered in a kill to tie it up.
Lynden’s senior middle hitter Joslyn Sipma tipped a beautiful ball over the net after a long volley to push the Lions back in front. A vicious kill by senior outside hitter Haylee Koetje secured the set for Lynden.
One set was not like the others. Whereas the first three sets were decided by the minimum of two points, the fourth was all Trojans. Leaving an 8-8 tie in the rearview mirror, Meridian embarked on an 11-3 run. Emry Claeys smacked home the final three kills, in fitting fashion, and the book was closed.
“[Lynden is] a great team, but I think that we worked hard for it and tonight we played together,” said senior outside hitter Avery Neal. “It feels really good, and it definitely gives us that boost in confidence for the postseason.”
Meridian excelled particularly in serve-receive, an area that Lynden struggled with. The Trojans totaled eight aces as a team while hitting .281 — you can’t ask for much more.
“It feels pretty good to get a win anytime — definitely against Lynden, such a high-caliber team,” Shannon Claeys said. “To get a win against a team like that is pretty special and we’re going to savor it, we’re going to celebrate it and just enjoy this moment.”
Emry Claeys coupled her 34 kills with nine digs, two aces and a block. Neal totaled 19 digs, eight kills, and two assists. Senior setter Hayden Claeys tallied 46 assists, six digs, two blocks and two aces.
Senior defensive specialist and outside hitter Rainn Hull tacked on 13 digs and seven kills. Meridian got back on track after going 3-3 over its last six games.
“I think that we learned that we’re capable of anything,” Hayden Claeys said.
For Lynden, Koetje totaled 24 kills and 18 digs in a dominant match for the senior. Junior setter Grace Rice finished with 37 assists and 18 digs, as junior libero Mya Vanderyacht tallied 23 digs.
Sipma solidified the defense with six kills and four blocks.
“The biggest thing is just [allowing] runs,” Elsner said. “That’s not something we tend to let teams do.”
Lynden suffered their first league loss, dropping to 9-2 overall and 8-1 in Northwest Conference matches. The Lions will travel to Burlington-Edison for a tournament on Oct. 15, beginning at 8 a.m.
“We’re halfway in our season, and this is a great, pivotal moment for our team,” Elsner said. “You never want to lose, but when you can be exposed and find the holes in your game and use that grow and learn, that’s a win.”
The Trojans advanced to 9-4 overall (8-3 NWC) with the win. Meridian will travel to Blaine (1-10 overall, 1-10 NWC) for its next game on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m.
