Tigers sweep Devils

MERCER, Wis. - The Mercer Tigers aren't just beating Indianhead Conference East Division teams, they refuse to lose a set.

The Tigers swept Ironwood Thursday night in front of a big and loud crowd. The Tigers easily won the first game 25-8 and then outlasted Ironwood in two hard-fought matches to close it 25-22 and 26-24.

In the third game, Ironwood was a point away from a win, 24-22, before the Tigers scored the final four points to take the game.

It was the third IC East game for the Tigers. They beat Hurley 3-0 and Wakefield-Marenisco 3-0 prior to Thursday. It was the first East loss for the Red Devils.

"I just couldn't be any prouder of them," Mercer coach Robyn Schoeneman said. "They played phenomenal. They have worked so incredibly hard from the end of the season last year to the start of this season. They love the game. They love each other. And that's what really matters."

Thursday figured to be Mercer's biggest challenge yet in the division, facing the defending Class C district champion Red Devils.

"We knew Ironwood was a good team and it was going to be a challenge for us," Mercer sophomore Caitlyn Hiller said. "We just played like we were supposed to. We played like we could to the best of our abilities. I knew at the end we weren't going to lose it because I trust my team and I knew we don't take people to other games, to more than three."

Ironwood coach Lisa Graham lamented the Devils' start. She said the next two games could have went either way and the Devils had game three before Mercer's comeback.

"It was a rough loss," she said. "It was hard for the seniors. They really wanted that one. They've been talking about it for a couple weeks, but it didn't fall our way. We hope to see them again."

The first game was no contest. After an Ironwood point made it 15-8, Mercer scored the final 10 points to end the game.

"The girls came out fired up and focused in that first game," Schoeneman said. "I don't think we made any mistakes in that first game.We can't do any better than that."

Graham said Ironwood's warmup went well, but the Devils have been a slow-starting team.

The second game was much more competitive. Mercer led 24-17, but Ironwood scored the next five points in a bid to tie the match at 1-1. After a timeout, Hiller's kill on her second hit of the rally ended it for Mercer.

"I wish we could have started game two completely forgetting about it (game one)," Graham said. "We really played well after the second half of game two."

It looked like Ironwood was going to force a fourth game. The Tigers led the third set 17-14 before Ironwood rattled off six straight points for a 20-17 lead.

An Emily DiGiorgio kill put Ironwood a point away from a game win, 24-22.

But Engler pulled it within one with a kill. Mercer tied it and Engler had two more kills to give the Tigers the game and match victory.

It was fitting that Engler had the final kill, one of 19 on the night for her, Schoeneman said.

"She was on fire," Schoeneman said. "She really took care of business tonight."

She thought the match was going to four sets.

"Ironwood has a great team," Schoeneman said. "They have some great, great players. Their defense was wonderful. There were balls that came back that I didn't expect to come back. They really had us back on our heels a little bit. I expected a fourth game. We were ready for that. But then when we started coming back; I was like, 'My heart can't take this.'"

Graham thought it was going to a fourth game also.

"Game three, we finally came around," Graham said. "It was just a little too late. I wish game three could have been game one. We have to learn how to start a game then finish a game. Unfortunate it was one of the biggest games for the conference. Either way, we're going to play hard the rest of the season and build off of what we did tonight."

Sydney Thompson had eight kills for Mercer. Taylor Wolfe had seven, Hiller six and Hayle Woolf two.

"We have a lot of weapons and we capitalized on that," Schoeneman said.

DiGiorgio had 10 kills to lead Ironwood. Mariah Beaudette had seven and Sarah Johnson and Amanda Kytola both had three kills. Katie Erickson had 25 assists.

"Mariah Beaudette played the best game I've seen her play," Graham said. (The Tigers) look solid. They have a lot of young players. Lexi Engler played really well. She hit the ball well. She was hitting anywhere where we weren't."

Mercer (10-1, 3-0 East) goes to a tournament at Northland Pines Saturday. Ironwood (7-2, 2-1) hosts Hurley Thursday.