WHITEHALL — Whitehall continues to work on getting better and maintaining a positive atmosphere amid a trying season on the scoreboard, and the Vikings saw gains in both respects in a West Michigan Conference Lakes loss to Hart Tuesday, 25-13, 25-14, 25-19.
"Right now, it's just that systematically, we've got a couple too many things going on," Whitehall coach Claire McGrew said. "We've got to execute the actual kill to get a point. Now we have to work on our first contact. The girls...have been understanding that. We're going to see it on film tomorrow and get some good feedback about that, and then keep moving on up."
Things got off to an uneven start for Whitehall, which committed some early errors to help boost Hart to an early game one lead. The Vikings hung around for most of the game and trailed 14-10 at one point before the Pirates, who currently sit second in the WMC Lakes, took over and pulled away.
Game two played out similarly, with the game tied at 9 until a serving run by the Pirates gave them a comfortable lead. The Vikings still managed to get back within four points at 18-14 before Hart ripped off the final seven points of the game.
The Vikings (3-19-1, 2-4 WMC Lakes) again fought back in game three after Hart raced to a 10-3 lead. Whitehall got as close as three points down the stretch, at 16-13, but again could not get over the hump.
It was the errors that drew McGrew's attention as well, but she praised her team's focus on the process, smiling that she felt vindicated in her attention to that area after watching a recent documentary about legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban; Saban was famous in coaching circles for his constant focus on the process.
"It's just trying to focus on that and getting the girls to buy into that," McGrew said. "That's the goal. 'Whatever my task at hand is, I'm going to do that to the best of my ability.'"
One thing Whitehall did fairly well was avoid service errors, making only three in the match. They had five aces as a team, coming from five different players.
Aaliyah Jamison led the Whitehall defense with 19 digs and Maggy Michaelson added 11. Peyton Schultz passed out 15 assists, and Delaney Kramer had a team-high six kills.
McGrew said the team continues to be positive in practice, putting in the work necessary to improve. While no one is waving the white flag on the Vikings' 2026 season yet, there's also optimism that the younger players who will be back next fall are building the foundation for future success.
"They're buying into the process," McGrew said. "They're buying into the program. They're willing to be a part of it. They're willing to do whatever it takes. Even if I put them up here in a new spot, I might have to explain it to them, but as soon as they get the explanation, they're like, 'Alright. Let's go.' That's all I can really ask of them. Whatever they're doing in that moment, they're going to try their best."
