CHS volleyball falls short in return to sectional finals

After an impressive showing against division foe Milford in last Wednesday’s Division 2 central semifinals, the Canton High girls volleyball team found itself in a familiar position on Saturday — squaring off against a highly ranked opponent on a neutral court with a sectional championship on the line.

Senior captain Emma Murphy (Mike Barucci photo)

“Unfortunately,” noted head coach Pat Cawley after a hard-fought loss, “central champs was not meant to be.”

This time it was the top-seeded Hillers of Hopkinton who proved to be too much for the second-seeded Bulldogs, dashing their state title hopes with a straight-set victory at Wellesley High School 25-14, 25-17, 25-17. Hopkinton, which also defeated Canton in the 2011 and 2014 playoffs, now moves on to play D2 west champion Amherst in the state semifinals, with the winner moving on to face either south champion Notre Dame Academy or north champion Bishop Fenwick.

For the Bulldogs, this marked the third time in the last four years that their season has ended in the sectional finals, following losses to Westboro in both 2015 and 2013. And once again, it was more about what the other team did right than what the Canton girls did wrong as the Hillers were simply too dominant offensively.

“Hopkinton came out aggressively and we just never found our groove,” acknowledged Cawley after the match. “Their powerful offense made passing difficult, which didn’t allow us to set up our offense. We had good spurts, but not enough to get by the finish line.”

Top performers for the Bulldogs included Emma Murphy, who finished with six kills and two blocks, and Nicole Poole, who tallied 14 assists and 13 digs. Cassie Loftus provided a spark off the bunch with four kills.

As for their semifinal match against Milford, all of the Canton girls brought their “A” games en route to a lopsided 3-0 victory at home.

“This night belonged to the Canton players,” Cawley said of the Milford win. “From beginning to end, they played with passion, focus and intensity. They worked together and never let up.”

The Bulldogs were only really tested once in the match — early in the second set — but they rebounded with a 14-2 run to win by five and then went on to demolish the Hawks in set three 25-9.

Poole finished with 17 assists, 13 digs and two kills, and Murphy and Casey Shea were outstanding in the middle, combining for 17 kills and five blocks. The Bulldogs also played great defensively behind Julia Panico (21 digs), Maria Mackie, Erika Lum, and Emily Lynch, while Emma Gobbi, Hannah Jerrier, and Lum all played well at the net.

Cawley said the “seventh player award” should go to the Canton crowd, which packed the gym and brought energy and enthusiasm throughout the duration of the match. “Best crowd we’ve ever had in 16 years,” she noted afterwards.

A sizeable contingent of fans also traveled to Wellesley to cheer on the Bulldogs on Saturday. And while it did not end as they had hoped, the players and coaches were grateful for the support and proud of what they were able to accomplish this year — including an 18-4 overall record, a 10th straight Hockomock title, and a successful fundraiser to benefit a CHS classmate and friend.

Cawley could not say enough about this year’s group, especially the team’s 12 seniors, who she said will all be missed. “It was a great season with a great group of talented, hardworking players,” she said.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Nov 18 2016. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.