Lady Trojans finish season with loss in state semi-finals

By Patrick Browne
CRYSTAL FALLS – The Forest Park Lady Trojans volleyball team finished their season on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 17, with a loss to Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart.  With the loss, the Trojans were eliminated from the state competition just one game shy of the state finals.
The Trojans had a remarkable year under the leadership of Coach Bobbie Jo Anderson, finishing with 16 wins against four losses, tying for first in the Skyline Central Conference and winning both the district and regional championships.  
In a thrilling state quarterfinal match on Tuesday, Nov. 15, the Trojans defeated the ninth-ranked team in the state, Inland Lakes, in order to secure the Trojans’ spot in the Division 4 state semifinals. The match was a come-from-behind victory and had the Trojan team and community believing anything was possible.
After dropping the first set 25–13, it appeared for a short time the Trojan season would be coming to an end. With hundreds of fans having made the trip to Marquette for the game and the season on the line, senior and team captain Ashlynn Kannich provided the leadership for the Trojans as they secured a win in the second (25–17), the third (25–18) and the fourth (25–21).  The Trojans scored an upset and were heading to Battle Creek to play in the state semi-finals!
The school and community gathered early Thursday morning to give the girls a proper send off for their eight-hour ride to the state competition. Despite bitter cold, snow-covered roads and a winter storm predicted for the ride to Battle Creek, the team was shepherded to the bus by a cheering student body, the school band and members of the community. Hope for a first-ever girls state volleyball championship was in the air and the school was electrified by the possibility.
In the state semi-final match, the girls came up against last year’s state runner up, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, a team that finished their regular season with 43 wins. The Sacred Heart team had lost in a grueling five-set match in last year’s state championship and was determined not to leave Battle Creek without their first-ever state championship trophy.  
Despite playing heroically, despite being coached magnificently, despite three seniors who did all they could to inspire the young scrappy ladies from Forest Park, the season ended with a three-set loss.  
A team that reflected the pride of their school and community played with heart, but was unable to overcome Sacred Heart. The Trojans lost the first two sets, 25–11 and 25–10. Despite stemming the tide for a brief time in the third set, the Lady Trojans ended their season with a 25–22 heartbreaking match point.  
Playing in her last game for the Trojans, Ashlynn Kannich shared what so many in the community felt. 
“I’m so proud of my team and how far we made it,” Kannich said. “The loss was hard, but we are happy about our overall performance this season.”
Fellow senior Kayla Hammerberg echoed Kannich, and pointed to a bright future for the girls who remain to play next year. 
“We are sad, our season has come to an end, but there is always a happy ending,” Hammerberg said.  
With three freshmen and five sophomores on this year’s team, the Trojans are hopeful that ‘happy ending’ will come in 2023.