Volleyball captures sectional crown, advances to states
By Jay Turner
Members of the CHS girls volleyball team are all smiles after defeating Westborough for the D2 central crown on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Ed Amico)
Update: With a hard-fought win on Wednesday over unbeaten Minnechaug, the Canton High volleyball team punched its ticket to the Division 2 state finals for the first time in program history. The lady Bulldogs were due to take on north champion Danvers Saturday, November 16, at Worcester State University.
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After a number of near-misses and heartbreaking finishes over the past several seasons, the Canton High girls volleyball team finally broke through this year in the Division 2 central playoffs, capturing its second-ever sectional title with a four-set win on Saturday over longtime tournament nemesis Westboro.
As a reward for claiming the D2 central trophy, the lady Bulldogs earned one of four spots in the Division 2 state tournament and were due to kick things off on Wednesday with a matchup against west champion Minnechaug Regional (21-0) — currently the top-ranked team in the state according to MaxPreps. The winner of that match would then move on to play either north champion Danvers or south champion Dennis Yarmouth in the state finals on Saturday, November 16, at Worcester State University.
Just by making it to the state final four, this year’s Canton team has already etched its name in the school record books, joining the 2012 squad as the most accomplished in program history. Whereas that year’s group was more highly touted — they reeled off 22 straight wins before bowing in the state semis — the current team has managed to blaze its own trail, overcoming injuries and experience to first seize the Hockomock Davenport crown, and then exorcise past playoff demons with three consecutive hard-fought victories.
That the last one came against perennial power Westboro — a program that is responsible for two of Canton’s past four sectional finals losses — made it that much sweeter, and it was hard-earned as the Bulldogs overcame a tough set-three loss to seal the match in four, 25-21.
Senior captain Taylor Harris, one of the few returning regulars from last year’s sectional finalist team and the recently crowned Hockomock League MVP, was a force for Canton in the win as she racked up a team-high 20 kills to go along with nine digs. Junior Liz Bickett, the Bulldogs’ other big breakout star and their anchor in the middle all season long, turned in a career-defining performance with 14 kills, 22 digs and four blocks.
Junior setter Jackie Morrissey continued her ascendancy with a 35-assist performance, while fellow juniors Nikki Desjardins and Stephanie Trendell played great defense and served well. Other top performers in the championship win included senior Claire Quinn (8 kills) and juniors Angie Elias and Shannon Malloy, who combined for five kills and seven blocks.
In their semifinal win a few days earlier against No. 3 North Middlesex, the lady Bulldogs seized control from the outset and never looked back, cruising to a 25-12, 25-12, 25-19 win. Harris led the way with 13 kills and 12 digs while Quinn tallied eight kills and 12 digs. Bickett contributed five kills, three blocks and three aces, and Morrissey ran the offense well with 21 assists and 12 digs. Elias and Malloy both played well at the net and Trendell and Desjardins excelled on defense.
Including their three sectional tournament victories, the Bulldogs went into Wednesday’s state semifinal showdown with an overall record of 20-3 — putting them one win ahead of last year’s total and right in line with some of the other top teams in the state.
“This team has worked hard every day with the goal of making it back to the sectional finals,” noted head coach Pat Cawley, who gets to add another central title to her already sparkling resume. “The improvement made day to day and week to week has been a pleasure to watch. I am so proud of these girls and so happy for what they’ve accomplished.”
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=62071
Posted by Jay Turner
on Nov 15 2019. Filed under High School, Sports.
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