Ann Arbor Skyline volleyball defeats Tecumseh on senior night
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For its senior night, Ann Arbor Skyline (37-7) pulled off a three-set victory against the Tecumseh Indians (11-6), winning 25-19, 25-18, 25-17 at Skyline High School on Tuesday night.
Throughout the game, The Eagles controlled the tempo, applying constant pressure and thwarting any momentum from Tecumseh. What concluded was a brief yet decisive victory for the Eagles.
While the Tecumseh showed moments of hope throughout the game, it made costly errors early and often, ultimately failing to find a way to execute during the game's most crucial moments.
Harper Murray stood out for the Eagles. She earned 25 kills in the match.
“It feels great," Harper said. "We’ve been working hard in practice recently. We just had the season tournament last Saturday; we went 7-0. We just wanted to proceed from that tournament, and keep working on the things from last weekend.”
Murray finishes this season as one of The Eagles’ greatest volleyball players, holding the school record for most career aces and over 2,000 kills.
Harper, a Nebraska commit, said that she’s focused on helping her teammates become better players before she departs.
“I know I have a lot of experience, just from club USA stuff, so I’m just trying to coach them, and help them become better players," she said.
Currently ranked No. 9 in the state, The Eagle's latest victory finishes their regular season on a nine-game winning streak.
“It’s been a wonderful season.” Eagles head coach Chris Cristian said. “It’s great to finish with a win at home, so I'm excited as we continue to push through.”
Regarding the season as a whole, Cristian called the season exciting, saying that he knew the team had the right talent. However, the team had to execute to get to its current position.
“Starting off the season with a win in our first tournament, I just knew we had the right stuff, " he said. "We just had to keep playing, remain excited and keep pushing through.”
However, when discussing the team’s success, Cristian credits more than just talent, highlighting the team’s communication as the key reason for the team’s success.
“What I think has been the greatest contribution this season has been our players taking leadership on the court and being able to have dialogue with the coaches. And being able to see when things are not working on the court, so we can have open dialogue,” he said.
This victory marks the final regular season game for the Eagles as they prepare for the district tournament.
Last year, The Eagles falled short of capturing the state title, losing 3-1 to Birmingham Marian in the finals.
However, for the upcoming tournament, Cristian says the only goal he has in mind is to take it one game at a time.
“The next goal is to keep moving forward.” Cristian said. “We have our first round of districts next Wednesday, so it’s just to keep winning.”
