Sheffield Senior Lexi Goldthwaite extends to make a play Thursday night during Sheffield’s sweep of the visiting Elkers. Times Observer Photo by Cody Elms

Sheffield bounced back after a devastating loss Wednesday night, to sweep visiting Ridgway 25-16, 25-18 and 25-23 on Thursday. The Senior Night win pulls the Wolverines record back to even at 8-8.

“I think some of the mental issues that we were having yesterday, they were able to get that worked out,” said Sheffield head coach Melissa Lemay. “Together then, they were able to keep their energy up. It kind of weighted down a little bit in the third set. All and all I felt like they actually played together, which I’m not sure you could say about last night’s game.”

At one point holding a nine-point lead in the second set, the energy lull started to kick in for Sheffield, allowing the Elkers to climb back within striking distance, with the score at one point at 23-19, because Sheffield closed it out.

The Wolverines walked the line even closer in the third set, after going up early 10-3, Ridgway was able to fight back within one 13-12. Again, the Wolverines build up some cushion, up 19-13, when the Elkers were able to take advantage of the exhausted Wolverines, eventually tying Sheffield 22-22. Sheffield dug down deep and powered through a few more serves to take the third set and the sweep.

“It’s nice when we’re able to win 25-17, this last one, when it goes 25-23, it’s both mentally tiring and it’s just physically tiring,” said Lemay. “Not that you’re not playing hard all the time, but when it’s that tight your energy level needs to come up, and your mental intensity has to come up, and I think those two things are just tiring. But we can’t let that change the way we play.”

Kadence Steffan tallied 27 assists; Emily Foster had 10 kills and 21 digs; Kassidy Orinko totaled 11 kills, nine digs and four blocks; and lone senior Lexi Goldthwaite had seven kills and three blocks.

“When we’re playing well, when we’re playing up, I think they tend to communicate better,” said Lemay who attributed some of that to youth.