Lady Cats Win Sixth Straight District Nine Class-A Volleyball Title (11/08/15)
So what else is new? The Clarion Area Lady Cats won their sixth consecutive District Nine Class-A Volleyball Championship, on Saturday (November 7th), at St. Marys High School.
(Photos by Kim Constantino) Clarion Area Lady Cats – 2015 District Nine Class-A Volleyball Champions
The Championship is the ninth in the last ten years and the twelfth since 2001, for this storied program (dare I say, probably the most dominant program, in any sport, boys or girls, in District Nine history). This run includes several PIAA State final four finishes and a State Championship, in 2012.
The sixth-seeded Lady Cats had quite a run through Districts. After defeating Cranberry, last Tuesday (November 3rd), they defeated the number three-seed, Redbank Valley, on Thursday (November 5th) at Redbank, in the quarterfinals, then the number two-seed, Elk County Catholic in the semifinal on Saturday morning, followed by a victory over number-one seed, A-C Valley, in the Championship Match on Saturday afternoon.
Coach Shari Campbell’s youth laden squad showed great poise under pressure, in winning Districts, with the quarterfinal, semifinal and Championship matches all going five games, all the matches being very close. Over the fifteen games, in the three series, Clarion’s points for-points against was plus-thirteen (less than one point per match). How many teams, would have folded under that pressure, while facing higher seeded teams? Not these girls.
Saturday’s semifinal saw the Lady Cats take a two game lead over the Lady Crusaders, winning the first and second games by identical 25-21 scores. E.C.C. came back by winning games three and four, 25-23 and 25-14, to force a fifth game, which the Lady Cats won 15-9. Anna Reed led the Cats with 17 points. Gloria Kroh had 41 assists.
Clarion then faced the Lady Falcons, winners of the other semifinal over Coudersport, for the Championship. A-C Valley took game-one 25-19 and the second game 25-18, needing just one more win for the title.
Alexis Constantino had a great day at the line for the Lady Cats
A-C Valley opened the scoring, in the third game, breaking Clarion’s serve, for a 1-0 lead. That would be the last time they would lead in the game. With a 6-4 lead, the Bobcats’ Alexis Constantino delivered three straight service points to give Clarion a 9-4 lead, which propelled the Cats to a 25-16 win.
Game four was tied 8-all. The Cats broke service, to take a 9-8 lead. Then, with Alexis at the line again, Clarion reeled off seven straight points to lead 16-8, on way to a 25-13 win.
With the match now tied at two games apiece, it came down to a do-or-die, game to 15, win by two. It looked as if the Falcons were going to end Clarion’s string of district titles, when they jumped out to a 5-1 lead. The Cats came back, closing the gap to 8-6. But then, A-C Valley ran off four straight points, for a seemingly insurmountable 12-6 lead.
Just one more point!!!!!!!!
With the Falcons up by six and needing only three points to claim the title, Clarion broke service. Now down 12-7, at the line for Clarion was, who else, Alexis Constantino who served for four straight points closing the gap to 12-11. Both teams broke service and with the Falcons leading 13-12, Keanna Over stepped to the line and delivered two straight points and the Cats had their first lead of the game at 14-13.
The Falcons broke service to tie the game at 14-all. Clarion returned the favor to take a 15-14 lead. Then with Anna Reed serving, there was a good volley that ended with the Falcons dropping the ball out of bounds on the Clarion side of the net. The Lady Cats had a 16-14 win and the string of District Nine titles continues.
We Did It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Clarion had great defense during the match, notably from Over, Reed and Olivia Bartley and Gloria Kroh did her usually fine job of setting up the other Lady Cats.
(Thanks to Kim Constantino for the photos. CONGRATULATIONS, LADY CATS. KEEP IT GOING!!!!)
CATS’ STATS
SEMIFINAL VS E.C.C.
Anna Reed: 17 points (5 aces), 22 digs; Gloria Kroh: 8 points (1 ace), 41 assists, 6 digs; Olivia Bartley: 7 points (2 aces), 24 kills, 13 digs, 1 assist; Keanna Over: 6 points, 22 digs, 7 kills; Alexis Constantino: 6 points (2 aces), 5 digs; Johnna Rapp: 4 points (1 ace), 1 dig; Sophie Wolf: 7 kills; Maya Thornton: 4 kills, 3 assists; Dorothy Kalinowski: 1 kill.
CHAMPIONSHIP VS A-C VALLEY
Alexis Constantino: 18 points (5 aces), 5 digs; Keanna Over: 9 points, 19 kills, 15 digs; Olivia Bartley: 7 points, 14 kills, 18 digs; Anna Reed: 7 points, 37 digs; Maya Thornton 6 points, 8 kills; Gloria Kroh: 5 points (2 aces), 45 assists, 6 digs; Sophie Wolf: 3 kills, 1 dig; Sydney Kiser: 2 kills, 1 dig, 1 assist; Dorothy Kalinowski: 1 kill.
The Lady Cats will take on the Greensburg Central Catholic Lady Centurians, a team they have met on numerous occasions, in the first round of the PIAA State Playoffs, at DuBois, on Tuesday November 10th, at 7:00PM.
(Elk County Catholic defeated A-C Valley in the match for true second, that followed the Championship match and will be District Nine’s other State Tournament representative. They will open against Purchase Line. )
(Thanks to Kim Constantino for the photos. CONGRATULATIONS, LADY CATS. KEEP IT GOING!!!!)