Waynesburg reaches semifinals with sweep of Frazier
Jim Downey | 蘑菇视频
The Lady Raiders鈥� Sarah Stevenson (8) and Riley Bowers (13) block the ball over the net during the second set of a WPIAL Class AA girls volleyball quarterfinal match against Frazier at Waynesburg Central on Nov. 2. Waynesburg advanced to the semifinals against North Catholic with a 3-0 win over the Lady Commodores.
The Lady Raiders鈥� Morgan Stephenson (5) follows the ball after she received a serve in the third set of a WPIAL Class AA girls volleyball quarterfinal match against Frazier at Waynesburg Central on Nov. 2. (Photo by Jim Downey)
Frazier蘑菇视频 Abigail Scott (25) hits the ball over the net as the Lady Raiders鈥� Madison McMaster (16) and Sarah Stevenson (8) set up for the block in the second set their WPIAL Class AA girls volleyball quarterfinal match at Waynesburg Central on Nov. 2. (Photo by Jim Downey)
WAYNESBURG 鈥� This season has been like no other for Waynesburg Central蘑菇视频 volleyball team.
The Lady Raiders hosted Frazier on Monday, Nov. 2 and chalked up their third straight victory over the Lady Commodores, 25-14, 25-15, 25-19, in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals.
That led to Waynesburg蘑菇视频 first appearance in the semifinals in program history. This is the sixth consecutive season that the Lady Raiders have made the playoffs.
All three sets against Frazier were similar in style. Frazier would stay close, then fade through the middle. Waynesburg won the previous two section meetings in five sets and four, respectively.
鈥淲e blocked,鈥� said Waynesburg head coach Dan Higinbotham. 鈥淛ensyn Hartman is their best hitter and we did a good job blocking her.鈥�
Waynesburg got strong play out of its front line and the back line was its usual strong self.
鈥淚 give my defense the most credit,鈥� said Higinbotham. 鈥淚 usually set my team up from a defensive perspective, lined with who I want to block who.鈥�
The Lady Raiders鈥� Sarah Stephenson had 10 kills in 14 tries with no errors. Emma Robinson had 12 kills out of 16 with no errors.
鈥淲e were hitting out of our minds in this match,鈥� said Higinbotham. 鈥淲e go into the next match with a lot of confidence. But I hear good things about North Catholic.鈥�
Robinson is a 5-8 senior and Stephenson is a 5-10 sophomore. The two took control of the match and Robinson scored the final point of the match from her left front position.
鈥淪he is an incredible player,鈥� said Stephenson. 鈥淲e just pulled together well as a team. We鈥檝e been working on blocking, and trying to get the ball down the best way we can. We played really well together as a team.鈥�
Stephenson said it蘑菇视频 going to take a game like this, clean and free of errors, to beat North Catholic.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have to give it everything we have to beat North Catholic,鈥� said Stephenson. 鈥淭hey are a really talented team.鈥�
Frazier, which finished behind Carmichaels and Waynesburg in Section 2-AA, fields a team with only six seniors and head coach Mandy Hartman said Waynesburg left no doubt who the better team was in this match.
鈥淲e have two girls we can go to,鈥� said Hartman. 鈥淭hey can put the ball anywhere along the net. They are the best team we鈥檝e played all season and the best team I鈥檝e seen all season.鈥�
Hartman said Frazier played 鈥渁fraid to lose鈥� against Waynesburg after knocking off fourth-seeded Deer Lakes.
鈥淟ast week, we had the attitude that 鈥楬ey, if we win that蘑菇视频 great,'鈥� said Hartman. 鈥淲e were playing the fourth seed and we didn鈥檛 have any expectations that we were going to win. Tonight, the pressure was on. We were playing a team we knew, that was in our section. I felt a different vibe than I did the other night.鈥�
For Frazier, Jordin Brundege had 13 digs and 10 service points, Alexis Lovis had 13 assists and Hartman finished with 17 kills.
Waynesburg蘑菇视频 Cayla Rush had 26 assists and Ryleigh Watson had three aces.