OSCODA - Feb. 2, 2006 - Tawas Area's youthful volleyball squad took an early lead at Oscoda and Wednesday and held on to top the Owls 25-22, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22 to earn the Braves their first NEMC victory of the season.

"We started out playing really well in the first game, but with a 16-9 lead our game fell apart and we watched the opportunity for the game win fall apart," said Oscoda coach Linda Hennigar.

The Braves went on to edge the Owls in the second and fourth games, while the Owls were able to take Game 3.

"It was a night when we would play well for awhile and then we would fall apart -- and I do mean fall apart," Hennigar said.

On the bright side for Oscoda, their 85 percent service reception efficiency was a season-high.

"BUt on the other hand," Hennigar pointed out, "we gave up 11 points on missed serves, and when you lose a match by a total of 10 points those 11 points are critical."

The Braves improved to 1-3 in NEMC matches, while the Owls dropped to 0-4.