Sports
Holland Christian volleyball wins five-set comeback in quarters
SPARTA – Sam VandeWege began the game sitting on the bench. But the Holland Christian junior ended the game with his teammates chanting “MVP! MVP!” As he walked off the court. “I didn’t play the first two (games today),” said VandeWege, who was out for three weeks with a high-ankle sprain. “Sitting on the bench […]
SPARTA – Sam VandeWege began the game sitting on the bench. But the Holland Christian junior ended the game with his teammates chanting “MVP! MVP!” As he walked off the court.
“I didn’t play the first two (games today),” said VandeWege, who was out for three weeks with a high-ankle sprain. “Sitting on the bench the past three postseason games in the tournament, it was so stressful for me. It felt good to play again and be helpful.”
Holland Christian rallied to beat Grand Rapids Christian in five games in a Division 2 boys volleyball state quarterfinal on Tuesday at Sparta High School.
“I’m really proud of how the team stepped up when it mattered,” Holland Christian coach Mark Walraven said. “We’ve struggled with slow starts all season and today was no different. They dug deep.”
Holland Christian advances to the state semifinals at 1 p.m. on Friday at Hudsonville. The state title game is Saturday at 1 p.m. also at Hudsonville.
When the Maroons lost the first two games 25-21 and 25-19 on Tuesday, they had to do something or their season would be over.
So Coach Walraven looked down his bench and asked VandeWege if he could play.
“He didn’t warm up much because we weren’t sure if we were going to play him,” Walraven said. “We weren’t going to use him, but we were falling behind. He’s obviously a big contributor to the team. He did a great job and made a difference for us.”
VandeWege was exited to yank off his warmup and get on the court.
“Coach asked me If I could play,” he said. “I looked back at my parents and they said ‘go for it!’ If my parents were good with it then I was gonna play for my team.”
He was the spark the Maroons needed. They would rally to win the next two games 25-11 and 25-18 to force a fifth game.
“This was the first Game 5 of the year for us,” senior Grant VanderZee said. “The first two sets were a killer. We were down on ourselves. Once the ball started to go down we took a big lead in the third. It was a good rally and we came out with the win.”
VanderZee, who was named the state’s first-ever Mr. Volleyball Award winner last week, had a booming spike to clinch the win in the fifth game.
“A lot of people knew it was gonna go to me,” he said. “It means a lot. We’ve got one of the best setters in the state in Spencer Walraven.”
VanderZee isn’t going to play college volleyball. He plans to just be a student when he heads to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. But he’s heard the school might start a beach volleyball team. And he plans to try out.
VandeWege had to laugh when he was shaking hands with Grand Rapids Christian after the game.
“I play club volleyball with Jack (Scholten),” he said of the Eagles sophomore. “When I was going through the hand-shake line, they told me they were disappointed that I came in for that third game.”