MADISON – North opened the 2025 season on a high note Saturday, defeating host Madison 25-21, 27-29, 25-12, 25-19.
The Rangers put an inconsistent 2024 campaign behind them with a confident performance in their season opener.
“This was a team win. All throughout this summer, we talked about building a culture,” said North head coach Mackenzie Dolejs. “The girls brought a lot of heart, it was a fun volleyball game to watch, and they had fun. We’re working on that ‘we’ mindset, and that we don’t have to be here, but we get to be here.”
North came out strong behind seniors Morgan Petrecca and Grace Piercy, who each recorded six kills in the opening set. The Rangers raced to a 15-6 lead before closing out the 25-21 win.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle. After an 8-8 tie, North built a 17-13 lead, but Madison answered with a 10-5 rally. A third kill by Cali Hughes sealed the 29-27 win for the Blue Streaks, evening the match at 1-1.
The Rangers regained control in the third set, turning an 8-6 lead into a dominant 25-12 finish with a 17-6 run. Petrecca fueled the surge with six points, including three consecutive aces to close the frame.
The fourth set mirrored much of the earlier action. Tied 16-16, North pulled ahead and closed on a 7-3 run. Amaya Majette capped the match with her eighth kill to seal the victory.
The win marked the first in the head coaching career of Dolejs.
“It’s just a lot of things we had to overcome, a lot of nerves, but we did a nice job,” Dolejs said. “I’m proud of the girls.”
Petrecca led North with 17 kills, four aces, and two blocks. Piercy followed with 12 kills, and Majette added eight. Setter Lacey Staska spread the offense with 31 assists and two aces, while Bella Houston and Paylin Oostdyk combined for 12 kills and six blocks.
Dolejs credited the team’s experienced leadership as a key to the win.
“We have a lot of upperclassmen, and they’re all strong leaders. They know what it takes, and keep that structure that their old head coach Tamara Heller put in place,” Dolejs said. “That leadership trickles down to JV, and down to freshmen. It’s all about creating a culture and program, and that we get to be here.”
Despite the loss, Madison showed plenty of promise with its young roster.
“We have two returning starters from last year, so it’s like a new team is on the court. The biggest thing is that we’re moving on is energy and communication,” said Madison head coach Amanda Titman-Mitchell. “They’re moving like a unit. We saw a lot of that today. Our serve-receive and defense improved vastly, but we need to get more touches at the net and be more aggressive in our offense early. Our offense is our best defense.”
The Blue Streaks trailed by double digits at times but consistently fought back into contention.
“That just shows grit and resilience. That’s something we’ve gained a lot out of with this young team,” Titman-Mitchell said. “I don’t know if we’ve ever had a Madison volleyball team in the last couple of years that can climb out of those moments. We’re running with the ‘Mudita’ mantra this year, and it’s a tool we have in our belt that we’ll be pulling out a lot this season.”
Kami Titman contributed across the board with 16 assists, two blocks, and two kills. Hughes added 10 points—five on service—and seven blocks. Off the bench, Jordyn Osborne and Brianna Butler combined for 17 kills, with Osborne also posting four blocks. Leah Brock chipped in five kills.
North (1-0) travels to Kirtland on August 19, while Madison (0-1) hosts Euclid the same day.
