Williamstown splits tri with Colts, Cadets
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WILLIAMSTOWN -- It was a heavyweight triangular volleyball match Thursday night at Williamstown as the defending Class A state champions collided with Ohio small school power Fort Frye and defending Class AA state champion Philip Barbour.
In the end, the Colts of head coach Heather Halfin improved to 15-1 after knocking off the Yellowjackets 25-17 and 25-18 and also dispatching the Cadets by scores of 25-17 and 25-17.
Although the Yellowjackets of head coach Rachelle Cole finally suffered their first setback, the hosts rallied for a 25-17 and 28-26 triumph against FFHS to improved to 11-1 as they head Saturday to the Bridgeport Invitational.
Fort Frye, now 5-5 with a noon match Saturday at home versus Wellsville, entered the fray without Makenna Long and sister Madyson Long suffered a hip injury against the 'Jackets and didn't return.
"We knew they were going to be hard matches," admitted FFHS boss Emily Tracewell, who got five kills from Long, four by Kianna O'Brien and a trio from Jenna White against the Colts. "Everybody wants to beat us anywhere we go. We've been working through some kinks and we're kind of on a rollercoaster right now trying to figure out what works best for us.
"I think once we put things together and we get a little more confidence we should be able to play like we can play. Madyson was all over the place diving and hurt her hip a little bit. Hopefully, she can get repaired and Makenna as well and we can find a lineup that will help us groove a little bit better."
A downed spike by Long was followed by an Emmie Duskey ace to give the Cadets an early 2-0 lead versus WHS in the opening set, but the 'Jackets took the lead for good at 9-8 with Riley Landis at the service line. Claire Strobl's block on Long had previously knotted the set at eight apiece.
Set two went back and forth and it was even at 15 when Duskey delivered another ace. The Cadets pushed ahead 21-17 on an O'Brien ace and still led 22-20 following a Paige Morgenstern kill via a Kasey Lang assist. However, the 'Jackets continued to fight and took the lead at 27-26 when Kyndra Johnson had a second-hit kill. Johnson then assisted on Strobl's kill for match point.
Versus the Colts, the 'Jackets had to call timeout in the opening set after falling behind 12-6. WHS made seven unforced errors at that point. The blocking of Philip Barbour's Averi Carpenter, Emily Dennison, MacKenna Halfin and Katie Kennedy proved too much for the 'Jackets and the Cadets. The Colts finished off set one when Halfin blocked Becca Shamblin.
Williamstown's only lead in set two against PBHS came at 9-8 when Payton Woodard put one down. Carpenter later served for five straight points, including an ace, as the Colts pushed ahead 18-11. A Shamblin block on Halfin made it 23-18, but Halfin and Avery McDaniel executed a double block and Natalie Dumire served an ace for match point.
"We played on the road last night against Winfield and the Winfield game was the probably the best I've seen us play yet this year," said coach Cole. "It was a long bus ride so I think we did come out a little bit sluggish and made some mistakes early in the first set and couldn't recover. I thought they held their composure pretty well.
"They were kind of tired. That's not an excuse, but they handled themselves pretty well and hit the ball better against Fort Frye, but we passed better and that always helps. I think overall it was a pretty good day and I think losses are a good thing to learn from. We knew we were going to lose at some point. We just have to address those issues and move on to the next one."
Philip Barbour scored the first five points against the Cadets and never trailed as a Dennison kill via a Madison Weese assist got the Colts going. Halfin closed out set one with a kill from a Katie Kennedy assist.
Dennison's stuff at the net of Alyssa Duskey put the Colts ahead 1-0 in set two. Consecutive aces from Emmie Duskey later tied it at four, but a Dennison block of Long put the Colts ahead for good at 5-4. McDaniel registered a kill for match point as the Colts return to action Saturday at Robert C. Byrd in the Cardinal Classic.
"We are still figuring things out," coach Halfin admitted. "We need to work on our quickness a little bit and we need to work on being better at reading both blocking and back row because a couple times we kind of got stuck and that can't happen. I'm trying not to lose my mind since it's only September.
"It's just hard sometimes and they know like if I didn't think they were capable of doing more than what they are doing I would back off, but I know they can and that's what makes me kind of crazy. I need the seniors to step up and I need them to be loud."
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com