Volleyball team goes 3-0 in first week of action
By Jay Turner
Senior captain Shannon Brady (Mike Barucci photo)
The Canton High varsity volleyball team kicked off its 2011 campaign in impressive fashion last week with three straight wins: 3-0 over Foxboro, 3-2 over nonleague Ursuline Academy, and 3-1 in the team’s first road game at Mansfield.
In their home opener on Tuesday, the Bulldogs looked sharp as they handled the Warriors in straight sets (25-10, 25-14, 25-12), fueled by senior opposite hitter Olivia Murphy, who led the offense with 10 kills and two service aces. Junior outside hitter Jackie Bornemann also did her part in the win, contributing six kills to go along with 20 service points and three aces.
“It was [Bornemann’s] first varsity appearance and she did not disappoint,” remarked head coach Pat Cawley, now in her 12th season with the program.
On Thursday, the Canton girls welcomed Division 1 sectional finalist Fontbonne Academy to their gym, and it was every bit the challenge they expected, with Fontbonne setting the tone early in a hard-fought, opening-set victory 25-23.
But the Bulldogs came right back to take the second set 25-13 and then held on to take the following set 27-25. Another battle ensued in the fourth set, with Fontbonne emerging as the winner 26-24; however, the home team still had enough left to take the match, winning the fifth and final set by a score of 15-8.
The offense was led by junior middle blocker Julia Murphy, who finished with 15 kills, five blocks and 16 digs, and senior setter and co-captain Shannon Brady, who tallied 42 assists. Junior libero Mellyn Costello anchored the defense with an impressive 31 digs.
The following night, the Bulldogs traveled to Mansfield to take on a talented Hornets squad and came away with an exciting four-set win.
The match actually got off to a rough start for the visitors, who were on their heels for the first half of set one.
“The offense was pretty much non-existent, the blocking was weak, and the serving was poor,” said Cawley of her team’s slow start.
But after dropping the first set 25-22, the Bulldog offense “woke up,” according to Cawley, and they went on to take the next three as well as the match (25-21, 26-24, 25-19).
Several Canton players stepped up in the win, including Julia Murphy, who finished with 11 kills, five blocks and four aces; sophomore middle blocker Avery Devoe, who added six kills and five blocks; and senior captain Alison McHugh, who served four straight points to help put the Hornets away in a crucial third set.
The team also played excellent defense, led by Costello, junior Kaitlyn Phillips and senior Lauren Hartnett, who combined for 65 digs on the night.
Assessing the team through the first week of play, Cawley said she was pleased overall with the intensity level of the first three matches.
“These girls never give up, play aggressively under pressure, and are quite supportive of each other,” she said. “Our bench has been a huge help in our [3-0 start]. We have much to work on, most notably our serving game, but we are in a good place for this early in the season.”
The Bulldogs had another three-game stretch this week, beginning with the consensus league favorite, North Attleboro, coming to town on Monday, followed by an away game Wednesday at King Philip and a home game Friday versus Oliver Ames.
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Posted by Jay Turner
on Sep 21 2011. Filed under High School, Sports.
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