Volleyball opens with big win vs. NA

Bolstered by a strong serving game and a dominant performance by senior captain Julia Murphy, the Canton High volleyball team notched its first win of the season last week, outlasting Kelly-Rex Division powerhouse North Attleboro in Thursday’s home opener.

It wasn’t the cleanest of victories, but it was impressive nonetheless as the Bulldogs took three out of four sets (25-22, 25-19, 24-26, 26-24) against a squad that got the better of them last season.

“Overall it was a blue collar match,” said veteran head coach Pat Cawley. “We gritted it out. We worked hard, and it was back and forth from start to finish.”

While acknowledging that their offense was not always in synch, Cawley said the Bulldogs played well enough in all phases of the game, highlighted by an outstanding 90 percent serve percentage.

“We started out very strong, and our serving was excellent,” she said. “In four sets we only missed eight serves.”

Meanwhile, picking up where she left off last season was Murphy, who turned in an all-star caliber performance with 15 kills, three aces, 22 digs, and five blocks. Other key contributors on offense included junior Avery Devoe, who finished with 10 kills, and senior Kaitlin Phillips, who played well at the setter position, tallying 30 assists.

Cawley said the team also played “above average” defense, led by senior libero Mellyn Costello, who finished with a team-high 32 digs.

Overall, it was an encouraging start for the defending Davenport Division champs, especially against a team like North Attleboro, which finished second in the Division 1 south sectional tournament last season with a final record of 17-3.

Of course, the Bulldogs were not too shabby themselves last year, going 17-4 and advancing to the central sectional semis. Cawley said the team still has a long way to go if it hopes to repeat or improve upon those lofty results. However, she likes the makeup of her current squad and has four strong captains in Murphy, Phillips, Costello, and senior Lindsey Arthur.

Now with their first victory under their belts, the Bulldogs will look to keep the streak alive with matches this week at Attleboro on Tuesday and home against rival Franklin — last year’s Kelly-Rex Division winners — tonight beginning at 4:45 p.m.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Sep 13 2012. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.