PREP VOLLEYBALL Hubbard, Salem gear for district title match

Quakers coach Don Conser addressed -- or avoided addressing -- Hubbard'sforeign exchange student.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- Salem High volleyball coach Don Conser may have missed his calling. He could have been a diplomat.
After the Quakers defeated Poland 15-7, 15-5 on Tuesday to advance to the Division II district volleyball final against Hubbard, Conser was asked if this is the best Eagles team he has seen.
"Well, Hubbard was good without the foreign exchange student and they're better with the foreign exchange student," Conser said. "That's all I'll say about that because my mother told me if I didn't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all."
Hubbard has been dogged by rumors of recruiting since foreign exchange student Monika Rajkovicova joined the team this summer.
Eagles coach Chuck Montgomery, who dismisses the rumors, has led Hubbard to a 25-0 record and is trying for his first trip to the state tournament.
Hubbard beat Southeast 15-4, 15-2 on Tuesday and will play the Quakers at 7 p.m. Thursday at Boardman High School.
He can relate
"It's a friendly rivalry and they have a very classy program," Montgomery, a Salem High graduate, said of the Quakers. "The kids know that if we play our game and play well, we can win. We'll be ready."
The Eagles beat Salem 15-3, 15-7 earlier in the season. Hubbard has not lost to the Quakers since the district tournament in 1999.
"Without the foreign exchange student, I think we could compete against them," Conser said. "Now we're going to have to bring our game up a couple of notches."
Hubbard cruised against Southeast, taking a 13-1 lead in the first set and a 14-0 lead in the second set.
Eagles senior Katy Jo Mroski, who will play in the Big Ten next season with Indiana, had 14 kills, six blocks and three digs. Rajkovicova had seven digs and three kills and Nicole Pringle had 10 assists and three aces.
Olivia Weber had five points and two aces and Bethany Ensinger had seven assists for the Pirates (11-14).
"We're very confident playing at Boardman -- I think we've only lost one [tournament] game here in six years," Montgomery said. "But we've gotta come to play against Salem. Anybody can stub their toe at any time in districts."
Salem (20-4), which beat Poland twice in the regular season en route to winning the Metro Athletic Conference title, took a 5-0 lead to open the first set against the Bulldogs. The Quakers controlled the second set, taking a 7-1 lead, and Poland never really threatened.
Tiffanie Heestand had seven points and seven kills, Megan Sampson had eight points and Kelli Crouse added nine kills and one block for Salem.
Kristen Stanyard had six points, eight assists and seven digs and Raeanne Coppola added two points and four kills for Poland (17-7).
"Our girls wanted another chance to play Hubbard," Conser said. "They've earned that chance. Now we'll find out what happens."
scalzo@vindy.com