NDA edges CHS volleyball in clash of unbeatens

After tearing through its schedule with 15 consecutive victories, the Davenport Division champion — and seemingly unstoppable — CHS volleyball team finally met its match against top-ranked Notre Dame Academy, falling 3-1 in Hingham Friday night.

Junior Sarah Reissfelder (Mike Barucci photo)

Currently undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the state, the defending D2 state champion Cougars had already beaten D1 champion Barnstable twice and D3 champion Frontier Regional. Yet the Bulldogs proved that they were up to the task, cruising past their formidable hosts 25-16 in the opening set before losing the next three in competitive fashion (25-19, 25-18, 25-22).

Junior captain Elizabeth Hamilton paced the offense, finishing with 13 kills and two aces. Fellow captains Erin Proctor (29 assists) and Danielle Arthur (16 digs, 4 aces) also played well in the loss, as did Chidera Nwankwo, Olivia Devoe, Rye Verille, and Sarah Reissfelder.

After the match, head coach Pat Cawley characterized the result as bittersweet. “Although disappointed to lose a match we could have taken, we left the gym knowing that we are capable of playing with anyone in the state,” she said.

Earlier in the week, the Bulldogs continued their dominance over Hockomock opponents as they shut out both Oliver Ames and Milford on the road to capture their eighth consecutive league championship.

Against the OA Tigers, Hamilton led the way with 11 kills and three aces, while Nwankwo added seven kills and two blocks. “Our offense was sharp and kept the scrappy OA defense on the move,” said Cawley. “OA is a good team having a successful year (12-6), so this was a strong win for us.”

In the Milford win on Thursday, the Hawks gave their visitors quite a battle, but the Bulldogs held on to take all three sets behind strong performances from Hamilton, Nwankwo, and Ariana Sanusi, who stepped in at libero and produced her finest performance to date, finishing with 16 digs and three aces. Devoe, Verille, Reissfelder, and Julia Mackie also played well in the win, combining for 10 kills.

This week, the Bulldogs (15-1) were due to travel to Stoughton on Monday and host Sharon on Wednesday. They will then wrap things up at home against nonleague Quincy next Monday before turning their attention to the Division 2 playoffs.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=27310

Posted by Jay Turner on Oct 23 2014. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.