PREP VOLLEYBALL Lakeview drops Hubbard to seize control in league

The Bulldogs are more than halfway to their first TAC title in school history.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CORTLAND -- Lakeview High volleyball coach Scott Taylor tapped his foot, shook his fist, nodded his head, high-fived his assistant coaches, cheered, yelled, skipped and, just before gathering his players in a huddle following Wednesday's win over Hubbard, he danced.
Oh, and one more thing -- he smiled. A lot.
"He's a pretty dramatic guy," said his daughter, senior Megan Taylor.
Before this season, beating Hubbard in a Trumbull Athletic Conference match wasn't quite impossible, but it was certainly improbable.
The Bulldogs (15-1, 9-0) have done it twice this season, paving the way for their first TAC title in school history.
"I'd be lying if I said this didn't boost our confidence," Scott Taylor said. "This team just has a will to win."
That was evident Wednesday, when the Bulldogs used a 9-0 run to rally from a 13-6 deficit in the first set, setting the stage for a 15-13, 11-15, 15-5 win over the visiting Eagles, whose 151-game league winning streak was snapped by the Bulldogs earlier this season.
"Scott Taylor has done a great job with that program," Hubbard coach Chuck Montgomery said. "We came into the match hoping to play well and I thought we did.
"We played our hearts out."
Back and forth
Hubbard seemed to be in control early, using a 7-1 run to break the game open and take the commanding 13-6 lead. But Hubbard was hurt by a state rule that limits substitutions, forcing Montgomery to leave some starters on the bench as Lakeview rallied.
"It was tough because we had to finish the game without our best team on the floor," Montgomery said. "We controlled the game, but we have to follow that rule and it hurt us."
And once Lakeview gained the momentum, it didn't let go.
"You've heard this said a lot, but volleyball is a game of emotion," Scott Taylor said. "We had our backs to the wall, but we gained a little bit of momentum and pulled it out."
Hubbard rallied from a 9-6 deficit in the second set, closing out the match with a 9-2 run. But the Eagles seemed to run out of gas by the third set -- the first two sets seemed to last an hour each -- and Lakeview pulled away.
"The level of volleyball picked up tonight," Scott Taylor said. "And people like Chuck Montgomery have done a lot to elevate the level of play throughout the area over the past few years."
Strong showing
Megan Taylor led Lakeview with 16 kills, 23 assists and two aces, while senior Whitney Keyser had 16 kills and 19 digs. Sophomore Michelle Antonelli had 12 points and sophomore Lauren McCumbel added six blocks for the Bulldogs, who now control their destiny in the league race.
"We hope to finish out and win the TAC," Megan Taylor said. "Then we want to make a run for district. We play in a hard district, so we'll see how we do there."
Senior Traci Hassell played outstanding, recording 14 kills, 14 assists and seven blocks for Hubbard (12-3, 7-2).
"I really admire Traci Hassell," Scott Taylor said. "She played outstanding defensively. She dug just about every ball. She was fantastic."
Senior Diana Conzett added eight kills and six digs, junior Danielle Nock had nine blocks and sophomore Corrie Gasser had nine assists for the Eagles.
But it wasn't enough. And as the Bulldogs left the floor, they walked under a tunnel set up by the upraised arms of Lakeview's student section.
"What a great match," Scott Taylor said. "Anybody who wasn't here -- shame on you."
scalzo@vindy.com