By Nicholas Huenefeld

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

MILLBURY — The Lake volleyball team used a balanced offensive attack Tuesday to produce a 26-24, 25-16, 25-16 win over Otsego and stay undefeated in conference play.

“I think we had more energy the last two sets,” Lake sophomore setter Lucy Boos said. “We came out really flat. I don’t know what it was, but we decided to pick it up after the first set and really start playing for each other.”

Although Lake led for most of the first half of the opening set, Otsego’s Emma Reid kept the Knights going, producing her fourth kill of the frame as the visitors took a 14-13 lead.

In fact, the set was tied four times before Lake used a 4-1 run to open up a 19-16 lead and force an Otsego timeout.

Keira Magers, who sent Lake into that timeout with one of her six kills in the set, picked up another to give the hosts a 21-17 lead. Shortly thereafter, Sydney Marchetto’s ace gave the Flyers five set points.

“(Keira) went crazy,” Lake head coach Amy Vorst said. “She went bananas. They made a blocking adjustment, and she struggled the next two sets, but she took over in that first one.”

Otsego rallied for five consecutive points behind a trio of aces from Kortny Rollins and a left-side termination from Vayda Schmidt.

Mylah Vorst settled Lake down with a kill from the middle before Savanna Saunders clinched the set with an ace.

“We came out and competed,” Otsego head coach Gabby Smith said. “We were serving aggressively. We were finding places on the other side to put the ball down. We were just very in-system that first set.

“I think they got us a little more out of system the last two sets where our struggle has been, but we’re getting there.”

Another kill from Schmidt kept Otsego within four early in the second set, but a kill from Magers and an ace from Calli Conley gave Lake an 11-5 lead and forced a timeout.

The run continued as the Flyers got kills from Caity Extine and Laynie Meadows to run the lead up to 10 and force another timeout.

A service error ended the run, but four consecutive terminations gave Lake a 19-6 lead.

Meadows terminated her seventh shot of the set for a 20-8 lead moments later.

Kennedy Falkenberg, who finished with six kills, picked up a pair of successful swings from the right side down the stretch before Magers finished it in the middle.

“It was good to get Kennedy more swings,” Vorst said. “She does such a good job. She can make a play on any ball. It doesn’t matter if the set is in her wheelhouse. She’s going to make a play on the ball. She does a great job.”

Lake (8-1, 5-0 NBC) jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the final set and eventually took a 10-point lead following a block from Vorst and Meadows. Falkenberg and Magers picked up another block a short time later, and despite a late kill from Otsego’s Avery Carpenter, the Flyers finished off the victory.

“I was proud of my setters for getting everyone involved,” Vorst said. “(We had a) very balanced offense, more than what we’ve seen.”

Vorst also highlighted the defensive effort of Marchetto, who finished with a match-high 20 digs.

“Syd had some amazing digs today,” Vorst said. “She flew out of middle back trying to get a ball that was flying into the scorer’s table. That kid gives all-effort, all the time.”

In addition to Marchetto, Conley added 13 digs for Lake. Offensively, Vorst led the way with 11 kills, while Magers and Meadows finished with 10 and nine, respectively. Boos led the way with 21 assists, and Saunders distributed 17, as well.

Otsego (5-3, 3-2 NBC) was led offensively by Rollins, who had nine kills. Cassie Bunde contributed a match-high 26 assists, and Molly Kramer had 16 digs.

“We’re super young, so we have a lot of freshmen and sophomores playing front row,” Smith said. “We’re getting there. We’re rebuilding. From the end of this year into next year, we’ll be good. It just takes time.”