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Lady Cats Move To Top Of Class A Rankings After Downing Maplewood In Match-up Of State Ranked Teams; Follow With Win Over Union (010/15/19)

(Photos from Maplewood Match are submitted) Above: Brenna Campbell setting for teammate

Clarion – Maplewood (Wednesday, October 9th)

When two highly ranked volleyball teams meet on the court, you expect an epic match, and that is exactly what you got when the Clarion Area Lady Cats, who were ranked number 2 in the state in Class-A hosted Maplewood, ranked number 4 in Class-AA.

When the smoke cleared the Lady Cats had earned a hard fought 3-2 (25-23, 15-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-13) victory. And with the win, the Lady Cats moved up to number 1 in the state rankings.

Kait Constantino with the return

KK Girvan had 12 points (3 aces), 12 digs and two assists. Kait Constantino had 10 points (1 ace), 15 kills, 12 digs and an assist. Brenna Campbell dished out 42 assists, scored 10 points (3 aces) and had eight digs.

Korrin Burns had 28 kills, 13 digs and seven points. Maddie Schill scored 6 points (2 aces), with 4 kills and three digs. Aryana Girvan had 4 kills and one dig.

Coach Shari Campbell shared her thoughts about playing Maplewood:

“We put Maplewood on the schedule in early spring and the team knew about it early.  It was definitely a challenge laid before us.  There are enough of our key players who experienced the loss to them in the State Semi’s at the end of the 2017 season, so it means something to them for sure.   

“At the time of the match we were #2 in single A and Maplewood #4 AA.  They moved into AA after the 2017 season as their enrollment increased. 

“The win moved us into #1 this week, as other teams had some losses.”

Coach Campbell mentioned the respect she has for Maplewood’s coach and their program. “I have had the privilege of coaching against Sheila Bancroft for the past 20 years. Her program is one to aspire to.  I truly respect her coaching style and knowledge of the game. The only other time we have played them is in the 2010 regional round robin, state semis (we won both).”

And as to her team’s effort, Coach Campbell said, “It was a true team effort on Wednesday to win against Maplewood. Brenna Campbell and KK Girvan produced from the serving line. Korrin Burns and Kait Constantino drove the offense as kill leaders. Maddie Schill came up big with some great blocks. 

“Although the team struggled at times, I am extremely impressed with our fortitude.  Coming from behind in sets 4 and 5 will definitely build more grit.” 

What benefits did the Lady Cats take away from the victory? Coach Campbell said, “This match will be an important influence on our confidence as we move towards the end of the season and the play-offs.”

The Lady Cat Junior Varsity fell to Maplewood 2-0 (17-25, 20-25).

They were led by Adia Needham, with 6 points (2 aces), 5 kills and four digs, and Noel Anthony, with 6 points (2 aces), 1 kill, 4 assists and four digs.

Grace Ochs had 2 points (1 ace), 4 assists and one kill. Paola Lopaz had 2 points (1 ace) and a dig. Bailey Rupert had 1 point, 3 kills and 4 digs and Bri Peirce had seven digs.

Clarion – Union (Thursday, October 10th)

The Lady Cats followed up on their win against Maplewood, with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-7, 25-14) win at Union, the following night.

Brenna Campbell had another big night setting up her teammates, registering twenty-six assists. She also scored 13 points (1 ace) and had seven digs.

Kait Constantino had 12 points (5 aces), 16 kills and six digs. Jordan Best registered 9 points (1 ace), 8 kills and five digs. Korrin Burns scored 7 points (1 ace), to go along with 6 kills and five digs.

Maddie Schill had 3 points, 4 kills and a dig. KK Girvan had 10 digs, 5 assists and two points (1 ace). Aryana Girvan recorded 3 kills and a dig, and Grace Ochs had a dig.

The Clarion Area Junior Varsity downed Union 2-0 (25-8, 25-12).

Bri Peirce scored 11 points (4 aces), to go along with 4 digs and a kill. Grace Ochs had 9 points (5 aces) and six assists. Jordan Best scored 7 points and had 4 kills and four digs.

Bailey Rupert had 6 points, 2 kills and an assist. Noel Anthony had 7 assists and scored two points. Paola Lopez had four kills. Adia Needham scored 2 points (1 ace) and had one kill.

The Lady Cats, who are now 19-6-3 overall and 12-0 in dual matches, will play Venango Catholic tonight (Tuesday, October 15th).

(Great Week, Lady Cats!!!!)