Amanda Nixon’s block early in the fourth game enabled the Wolverines to regain service and take control of the contest.
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Brent Baker
Charisse Morris lays out for a low serve during the Wolverines’ victory at Hale on Monday.

HALE – Jan. 30, 2006 – Hale’s volleyball team showed it had come a ways since losing to AuGres-Sims nearly a month ago.

But the Wolverines are on a roll like none they’ve ever had, and when momentum turned against them in Monday’s contest, they snatched it back and never let go in taking a 25-18, 10-25, 25-15, 25-19 North Star League victory.

With the win, the Wolverines capped an unbeaten month in which they won all 14 of their matches, taking 35 of 40 games.

The Wolverines nursed a narrow lead through much of the first game, but Jamie Taylor’s three consecutive aces opened up an 18-13 margin that proved decisive. Jodi Bilacic and Sam Baron finished off the opener with kills.

A different Hale team took the court in the second game, bolting to a 7-1 lead before AGS came back to take a 9-7 lead.

But when Hale’s Shannon Self stepped to the service line with the Eagles leading 12-10, it turned out the second game was history. Self served out the last 13 points, only two of which the Wolverines returned, and six of which hit the floor untouched.

But as quickly as the Eagles had taken over the Wolverines took it back. Trailing 3-2, Amanda Nixon went up for a block to gain service for AGS, then served four aces of her own in a nine-point Wolverine run punctuated by three Angela Porn kills that proved decisive in the 25-15 win.

Hale trailed 17-10 in the fourth game before coming back behind strong hitting from Self, Andrea Herzog and Sabrina Provoast, inching to within 21-19 on a rattling spike from Provoast. A service error and a hit out of bounds gave the momentum back to the Wolverines, who finished the game and match off with consecutive aces from Bilacic.

The Wolverines improved to 15-4-2 (7-0 North Star League) with the victory and travel to Arenac Eastern on Thursday. Hale dropped to 5-6 (3-2) and is at Atlanta on Thursday and plays in the Whittemore-Prescott Invitational on Saturday.