Jackets win GMAC tournament quarterfinal game

By Danielle Cherry 

Cedarville came out ready, being the No. 1 seed in the G-MAC conference, but so did Northwood, the No. 8 seed. Both teams fought tooth and nail, keeping the audience on their toes, wondering who would come out on top. In a riveting four-set game, Cedarville grasped the win by a hair and advanced to the semifinal game. 

“From the very beginning, we knew [Northwood was] going to be a tough serving team, and they never gave up,” head Coach Greg Smith said. 

While knowing the Timberwolves’ strengths, that didn’t help Cedarville in getting an early lead. Balls served at the Jackets were shanked left and right, with Alivia Rutt diving all across the court to reach stray balls. 

“Whenever you’re in a tournament situation where you know it’s a one-and-done situation, it’s like nerves start popping in,” head coach Greg Smith said. 

Hits that would usually result in kills were falling outside the court boundaries, serves were just grazing the net and Northwood would rally to catch up to Cedarville’s lead. As the game progressed, initial nerves eased, and hitters Janae Heegaard and Madelyn Hensley hit the ball so hard that Northwood players were sent flying back from their original position. 

“We just told them to relax a little more on the serve-receive passing side of things,” Smith said. “We were really tense with our platform.”

As the tension eased, the excitement and joy Cedarville usually plays with returned. Kaley Matney, a senior setter, positioned every one of her serves at a specific target, and not one ball went off course. Her accuracy gave the team an early lead, allowing hitters to be more creative with placement. 

“We have never been the first seed for a tournament all four years since I’ve been here, and all four years we’ve lost the first round,” Matney said. “I was really really excited to not only play at home with a bunch of fans, but also to come out and do something we haven’t done since I got here as a freshman.”

As Matney set the ball, Heegaard would move swiftly across the net, hitting an outside attack despite her middle hitting position. Both Heegaard and Haley Koch excel at unique hits, smacking the ball for a kill and confusing the other team. 

Each point was back and forth. The crowd was never sure who would win the rally as both teams seemed to be equally matched, both in hitting percentages and total digs. Rallies would last for a whole minute, each side moving as a unit. 

“[During] tournament time, anybody can win a match and just get on a roll,” Smith said. 

In the third set, momentum swung in Northwoods’ direction, hitting .323 to Cedarville’s .143, and leaving the Jackets uncertain about the next set. As the fourth set began, Northwood took an early lead, breaking through Cedarville’s blocks. 

Rutt dove after a ball, ending in a muscle cramp that halted gameplay. The audience held their breath waiting to see if Rutt would be alright. The atmosphere shifted from one of excitement to trepidation about what this delay would mean for the Jackets. 

Instead of causing a bigger lead for Northwood, a fire was lit under Cedarville, and they played harder and faster than before, gaining the lead once again. 

“The difference was realizing our whole season is on the line and we have to have a sense of urgency,” Matney said. 

The Jackets no longer played in fear; instead, Hensley, with 19 total kills, and Cassi Shields, with 14, led a battalion of balls against the Timberwolves. They sent balls flying over the net and skyrocketing to the ceiling.  

“Realizing this is our home court and this is our opportunity as seniors, that was the ultimate push,” Matney said. 

The whole crowd was on their feet, waving a number one in the air as Cedarville served their final ball. Northwood hit hard, but to no avail, and the ball flew out of the court boundaries, sealing the victory for Cedarville. Fans and players alike were jumping and cheering like no tomorrow. 

“I’m just very proud of the team because that’s the first win we’ve had in a while in the G-MAC tournament,” Smith said. “We believed in ourselves and we took care of business.”

On Friday at 4:30 p.m., the Jackets will look to defend their home court against the Hillsdale Chargers in the semifinal game, continuing their playoff momentum. 

Danielle Cherry is a sophomore communication major and writer for Cedars A&E and Sports. She is a Missionary Kid from Germany and loves to travel and play volleyball.