Cunningham powers Payton past Panthers

A night after Payton clinched the Red North conference title, coach Joel Anderson and his Division I recruit, Courtney Cunningham, were wondering where the Grizzlies service game had gone.

The service game may not have been what Cunningham and Anderson wanted, but visiting Payton kept its undefeated record intact with a 25-11, 25-21 win over host Von Steuben Thursday.

Cunningham, a middle hitter, led the Grizzlies with 20 kills and setter Roxanne Rivera had 30 assists, 18 in the second set.

“They’re good competition and they are good athletes and there is a rivalry there,” Anderson said. “We go on huge point runs and are aggressive servers, but I was disappointed in our serving game. This is our ninth match in five days and I think we’re a little bit burned out.”

Payton (22-0, 11-0) rattled off 10 unanswered points in the first game with freshman Michelle Schultz serving to take a 17-7 lead. Cunningham had eight kills in the rally and the Panthers didn’t threaten.

But in game two, Von Steuben took advantage of Payton’s serving miscues. Von Steuben (11-7, 7-4) tied the score five times before taking a 16-15 lead, its first since leading 1-0 in game one.

After Payton tied it at 16 and then took a 17-16 lead, Payton served the ball into the net for a 17-17 tie. Von Steuben outside hitter Mary Dent, daughter of former Bears great Richard Dent, smacked a kill for an 18-17 Panthers lead.

“I felt like today was going to be a more intense game and that we’d having something to prove,” Cunningham said. “We needed to pick up on our serves and I felt that was the only reason why they were still in the game.”

Payton held on to lead despite Von Steuben tying the score four times.

Cunningham made an oral commitment to Mississippi earlier this week, becoming the first Payton athlete to earn a Division I scholarship.

“I’m really excited for it and I love my team and my coaches,” Cunningham said. “I didn’t realize I was going to be the first [Payton D-I athlete] until my senior year and no one had done it yet. I’m happy to be the first.”