OGEMAW HEIGHTS - Sep. 9, 2009 - Ogemaw Heights volleyball coach Diane Gillette is still trying to figure out how all the pieces of her team fit together.

But so far in North East Michigan Conference play, things seem to be falling into place.

The Falcons held off a late Pinconning charge Wednesday to defeat the Spartans 25-15, 25-22, 20-25, 26-24 and improve to 3-0 in league play, tied atop the conference with Tawas Area.

"This was a big, big victory," Gillette said. "We had two or three people in positions they weren't used to. We're still moving pieces around. It's such a mental game, and tonight the kids did a fantastic job."

That mental fortitude game in handy in the fourth game. After the Falcons took care of things in relatively routine fashion in the first two sets, Pinny was able to get untracked in the third game, with hitters Chelsea Adcock and Emmy Duranczyk doing much of the damage. A run of three straight Kelsey Beck aces gave the Spartans the lead for good in the third game.

Ogemaw had a 16-13 lead in the fourth game before the Spartans ran off six straight points, including two Adcock aces and two Duranczyk kills, to go up 19-16.

Gillette called a time out, and the Falcons quickly ran off five straight of their own.

"I just reminded the girls that we had six players out there," Gillette said. "We needed to play together as a team and make smart places. We didn't need anyone trying to be a miracle worker."

Pinny took a 24-23 lead after a Chelsea Gruzynski tip and an Adcock kill, but the Falcons finished the game and match off with a hit by Jorie Lucas just inside the left sideline, an Andrea Gillette tip and a kill from Alissa Thorson to end it.

Gillette added that Annie Sheltrown played a key role in solidifying the back row, a position she wasn't entirely familiar with.

"She did a great job back there," she said. "She just goes wherever I ask her to and tonight did a fantastic job."

The Falcons improved to 5-6-2 overall while Pinny fell to 1-1 in league play.

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Ogemaw Stats: Alissa Thorson 18 kills; Sara Meier 12 kills, 3 blocks; Jorie Lucas 9 kills, 4 aces; Paige Bachelder 6 kills; Andrea Gillette 22 assists, 2 aces; Shelby Marshall 14 assists.

Pinny Stats: Kelsey Beck 24 digs, 5 aces; Emme Duranczyk 15 kills, 20 digs, 1 block, 2 aces; Chelsea Adcock 11 kills, 16 digs, 4 aces, 1 assist; Erin Ivey 1 kills, 1 dig, 1 assist; Rebecca Bills 2 kills, 4 blocks; Chelsea Gruszynski 3 kills, 11 digs, 1 ace, 23 assists;Hailey Heideman 2 digs; Ashley Hribek 2 digs, 2 blocks, 2 assists; Cassidy Vieau 4 kills, 4 blocks; Sarah Lijewski 18 digs.