Information provided by Phil Lozon

The Milan won its third tournament in as many tries Saturday at New Lothrop. Milan is 24-2 overall now with Huron League tournament play starting this week.

The Big Reds didn’t drop a set all day. They beat Millington, New Lothrop and Oakland Christian in pool play. 

In the semis against Valley Lutheran Milan trailed 9-3 when they took a time out. Malea Wourman got a kill out of the time out then Milan won one of the longest rallies of the day on an Emma Budd kill. Budd recorded another kill on the next play as the Big Reds launched into a 22-5 run the end the set 25-14. Milan never trailed in set 2 winning 25-13; 

In the finals against Mason Aubree Higgins had two aces as she served Milan to a 6-0 lead right off the bat as the Big Reds cruised 25-13. Set two, however, the Bulldogs perked up as Milan didn’t take it’s first lead until 14-13.

Mason took the lead back at 20-18 when Higgins went back to serve again. Her ace tied it at 20, an attack error gave the Big Reds the lead at 21-20 and then another ace, Higgins’ fifth of the match, made it 22-20 Milan forcing a Bulldog time out. 

The Bulldogs fought back to tie it at 22 when Wourman placed a perfect tip out of the middle to give the lead back to the Big Reds at 23. Laila Frye had two big digs in a rally won by Milan on a ball handling error to put the Big Reds one point from their 3^rd tournament title. Mason scratched out one final side out to make it 24-23. With the match on the line, Higgins put up a perfect pass to Madison Slack, who fed Ava Demond for the title-winning kill. 

In the finals, Wourman led the way with 10 kills and eight digs. Emma Budd had six kills with only one error hitting .455. Frye had 12 digs.

For the day, Wourman tallied 53 kills, 42 digs, five aces and three blocks. Slack had 94 assists with 24 digs, 11 kills and eight aces. Frye led the defense with 46 kills and also totaled 11 aces. DeMond and Budd had 16 kills apiece, Higgins had 14 kills and 28 digs.