Saline Volleyball Clinches SEC Red Title

Photo from Saline Athletics

It came down to a last-match come-from-behind rally for the Saline volleyball team to come away with the SEC Red title at Ypsilanti Lincoln Saturday.

The Hornets entered the jamboree on top of the SEC Red standings with a 7-0 record. They led Skyline by two points after the three-game sweep of the Eagles last week and had to come away with a second-place finish or better at the jamboree to clinch the title. Each jamboree match was worth one point, whereas the regular season matches were worth two points.

Saline opened strong with wins over Bedford, Huron, Pioneer, and Lincoln.

Skyline got its revenge with a win over the Hornets in the fifth game, meaning the Hornets needed to finish the day with a pair of wins to clinch the title.

Saline took care of Monroe in straight sets to set up a final match with Dexter.

The Hornets had swept Dexter in three straight earlier in the week, but it was the Dreadnaughts that came out and took the first set putting Saline in a hole.

Saline battles back to take the second set to force a winner take all third set.

The Hornets pulled out the third set 25-20 to take the match and clinch the outright SEC Red title by beating out Skyline by one point in the final standings.

The Red title for the Hornets was the first since 2016 when Saline made it to the Regional finals in the state tournament.

The Dexter match earlier in the week moved the Hornets to 7-0 in the standings and set up the title win Saturday. They swept the Dreadnaughts in straight sets 25-13, 25-15, 25-23.

Anna Hesse and Marie Laurio had big nights at the net with Hesse collecting 12 kills and Laurio 11. Catherine Flaharty chipped in with seven kills.

Olivia Behen and Laurio each collected three aces, while Laney Burns and Beth Ann Ford each had two blocks. It was a team effort in the backcourt with Burns and Cazzi Smith with 12 digs each, Behen with 11 digs, and Laurio and Kate Fredericks ten digs each. Burns dished out 36 assists in the match.

Saline then swept South Lyon East 25-17, 25-20, 25-19 in a non-league match.

Laurio was a beast at the net with 17 kills, while Hesse added seven kills.

Behen and Laurio collected two aces each, while Ford recorded two blocks. Behen was all over the court with 21 digs, while Burns had 16, Laurio and Fredericks had 10 each. Burns dished out 31 assists in the match.

Saline improved to 29-7-1 overall on the season and 13-1 in the SEC Red.