Lady Cats Volleyball Team Downs Cranberry (10/02/19)

The Clarion Area Lady Cats Volleyball Team downed the visiting Cranberry Lady Berries, in straight sets, 25-11, 25-7 and 25-20 on Tuesday (October 1st).

Brenna Campbell opened the match with six straight service points and added three more later, in a game the Cats would hold the lead throughout.

The second set, saw the Lady Cats hold the Berries without a service point. A major point in the game came with Clarion up 12-5, K. K. Girvan had a big service run, with eight straight service points, moving the lead to 20-5. Campbell had five service points and Korrin Burns had three in the game.

Cranberry opened the third game with four service points, but three service points by Campbell gave Clarion a 6-5 lead. The Berries regained the lead at 7-6 and held their last lead at 8-7.

With the score tied at 8-all, Maddie Schill served for five straight points. Later with Clarion up 14-9, Grace Matson served four straight points. Maddie Schill served the final two points of the match.

The Lady Cats had strong defense throughout as can be attested to by some of the following stats.

Campbell had 17 points (3 aces), 20 assists and five digs. K. K. Girvan had 11 points (1 ace), 9 digs and 2 assists. Burns scored 6 points (2 aces), and had 6 kills, an assist and a pair of digs. Schill had 8 points (2 aces), 5 kills and two digs. Matson had 4 points (1 ace).

Kait Constantino had 9 kills, 3 digs and one point. Jordan Best had 2 points and 5 digs, and Aryana Girvan had 5 kills and two digs.

The Lady Cat Junior Varsity won 2-0 (25-23, 25-20).

Grace Ochs had 12 points (2 aces) 3 assists and a dig. Bailey Rupert had 7 points (2 aces), 4 kills and two digs. Adia Needham scored six points (2 aces), to go along with had a kill and two digs.

Bri Pierce had 7 digs and 2 points (1 ace). Noel Anthony had 2 points (1 ace), 2 assists and two digs. Paola Lopez had 1 point (1 ace).

Coach Campbell shared some of the Lady Cats’ strategy and keys to victory:

“We’ve rotated around and we started with a different server serving, because I like to do that. We need to feel like we can start with different servers, that allows us t create a different blocking match-up.

“Our offense is very diverse. It is hard to read where Brenna is going to go with the ball and that’s by design. We’re quick, so our hitters are always ready. They’re ready when the ball comes to them. So that makes it kind of dynamic. It’s fun.”

She mentioned some of the players who contributed to the win. “I thought Kate Constantino played really well. She hit extremely well for us. I thought Brenna and K. K. did an outstanding job hitting zones, serving from the serving line. They really kind of dictated the match back there.

“It was nice to see Aryana Girvan come up with some big kills and some blocks. She’s a developing player for us. Our middles are really growing. Maddie Schill is a great blocker and a dynamic hitter.

“Payton Simko hit some really nice balls tonight. That’s a really key thing to make sure that we’ve got players everywhere, not just two. And I think we are super close to (being) that team that plays as one and there’s no holes anywhere; (that’s) a team that’s hard to beat.”

We talked about the team playing at the State College Tournament over the past weekend and how it helps the Lady Cats facing the great competition in the tournament.

Coach Campbell said, “We beat the number one Triple A team in the state. We had them kind of baffled. We were quick and playing defense on them. We really had them on their heels.

“We almost got Baldwin and they’ve got two really dynamic hitters. And we were in a dog-out fight, 27-25 and it was exciting. So it was really great to take second in that pool and then have a chance to play the number one Quad A team right now (North Allegheny), and then another ranked team in Hempfield, who actually beat North Allegheny in the pool play. And then the defending Bald Eagle the defending Double A champs.

“t’s the type of thing that pressures us, puts pressure on us, especially when we’re passing. It’s really important because it’s those places where you find out the difference between winning and losing in the state playoffs.

“It’s not great just to stand and serve against opponents. That doesn’t challenge you and it doesn’t work your passing. So we definitely are seeking out tough teams, tough competition to give us the experience we need to be able to be ready.”

The Lady Cats will travel to Moniteau tomorrow, Thursday, October 3rd.

(Keep up the good work Lady Cats!!!!)