Volleyball team collects 2 more shutout wins

Update: Avery Devoe and the red-hot CHS volleyball team were rewarded for their stellar regular season (17-2) with the top overall seed in the Division 2 central sectional tournament. The defending champs earned a first-round bye and will kick things off next Tuesday at home against either No. 8 Hudson or No. 9 Marlboro.

The Canton High varsity volleyball team continued its winning ways last week, improving to a league-best 15-2 overall with back-to-back shutout victories over Sharon and Stoughton.

The Davenport Division champs now boast a perfect 9-0 record against division opponents and will look to make it 10 for 10 when they take on Foxboro this week in the regular season finale.

In the meantime, the girls have set such a high bar for themselves that not every victory is celebrated equally. Last Monday, for instance, the squad dispatched Sharon in straight sets, yet head coach Pat Cawley wasn’t exactly thrilled with the results.

“Everything was a little off today,” Cawley said of the Sharon match. “Our passing was not crisp and our hitting was way off. Sharon played great defense and was able to stay close all day. They held back and waited for us to make mistakes.”

In the end, however, the Bulldogs’ talent prevailed, led by sensational senior captain Avery Devoe (15 kills, 3 aces) and sophomore Elizabeth Hamilton (9 kills, 12 digs). Junior setter Erin Proctor also played well in the win, contributing 20 assists, four kills and four aces.

“They gritted it out and were able to make the plays necessary to win the match,” said Cawley.

Later in the week, the Bulldogs delivered a far more convincing performance against a quality Stoughton team, winning all three sets by double-digits (25-10, 25-12, 25-14).

The Black Knights have been competitive this season, and the Stoughton gym, according to Cawley, is always a tough venue to play in. But Canton brought its best and dominated the hosts behind another strong performance from Devoe (13 kills, 4 blocks, 9 digs) and Hamilton (14 kills, 9 digs).

“[Hamilton] had one of her best matches of the season,” remarked Cawley afterwards. “Her passing was spot on today, which enabled the setters to run the offense more easily.

Other top performers for Canton included Meghan Hartnett (9 assists) and Danielle Arthur (10 digs, 3 assists). Julie Newton came off the bench to serve the final two points of set two, including an ace, while Shay Connolly and Lauren Brady both played good defense.

“The girls came to play today and executed well from start to finish,” said Cawley. “The entire team contributed to this win.”

The Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season this week before turning their attention to the playoffs, which get underway early next week. Last year’s team made school history as the first to win a sectional title, and this year the girls are aiming for a repeat while also setting their sights on the Division 2 state championship trophy.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Oct 31 2013. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.