SAUGATUCK - Fighting off point after point, the Fennville volleyball team kept its composure and calmly kept attacking. It resulted in a 28-26 thrilling set victory and a 3-0 sweep of rival Saugatuck with 25-18 set wins on either side of the thriller. The win was the second in a row in the rivalry, something that hasn't happened in years. "This was really big for us. The energy was so high and there wasn't a moment in time where I felt like we weren't going to get out of the hole," Fennville senior MacKenzie McIlwain said. "There was so much trust there because we knew we all wanted it so much." Players from both teams on the list: Vote for the Holland Sentinel Non-Football Athlete of the Week for Aug. 21-28 Fennville (4-1) has the top returning setter in the area in senior McIlwain, which has led to a quick growth of the program. "The girls know when to dig deep to come out on top. We were much more prepared coming into this one. The girls mental toughness has grown since last season and the young girls are so coachable and want to win. We have such good team chemistry," Fennville coach Rebecca Hughes said. "MacKenzie does a really good job of giving the hitters what they need. She is talking constantly. The energy from that makes them want to play harder."
The younger hitters have another year of experience that are starting to thrive. Junior Marynne Winne had perhaps the best attacking match of her career against Saugatuck, putting down double-digit kills and giving the Trailblazers' back line a ton of trouble. "I have seen a lot more confidence in her," Hughes said. "She is taking more risks an we are becoming more of an offensive team." Winne credited the bond between setter and hitter to her success. "It gave us so much confidence to fight through," Winne said. "I feel like the drive and the connection between me and MacKenzie (has grown a ton)."
Saugatuck is much improved this season despite having just two seniors. The young talent is learning and growing - led by Jocelyn Johnson, who had 10 kills - and this match will be part of that growth. "It was really fun volleyball. We are just so young and I see us making a lot of young mistakes," Saugatuck coach Christina Lewis said. "But we have so much potential. I am hoping we will continue to develop that as the season goes on. Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Fennville volleyball fights off Saugatuck rally as McIlwain, Winne find synergy