Hubbard keeps winning in TAC

The Eagles swept Lakeview in three games for a 2-0 league and overall record.
By DOUG CHAPIN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CORTLAND -- Hubbard High continued its volleyball domination of the Trumbull Athletic Conference with a three-game thumping Wednesday night of Lakeview, one of the few TAC teams to have had any success against the Eagles.
Hubbard gradually increased a 7-5 lead on the way to a 25-13 victory in game 1 and ran off 10 straight points to open a 14-2 advantage on the way to a 25-10 second-game win. Lakeview wouldn't quit and led 11-9 in game 3, but the Eagles ran off 10 straight points to lead 19-11 and went on to win 25-19.
"It's always tough for us to win here at Lakeview, they and Girard are our main rivals in the league," veteran Hubbard (2-0, 2-0 TAC) coach Chuck Montgomery said. "Though it's early in the season this is a big win on the road against one of our top league rivals."
Hubbard is coming off a Division II district championship season, the third time in the last five years the Eagles advanced to the regional.
"We lost three very good seniors but we've got a nice veteran group returning," Montgomery said. "We're still finding our way, we've got to get our setters used to our hitters, but we have the ability to get better. We scrimmaged some of the top teams in the state and we participated in the YSU team camp and the Walsh Jesuit team camp."
Four veteran seniors
The Eagles have four veteran seniors -- Kim Budd, Karen Cover, Maggie Bogdan and Sophie Paddock, who transferred from Mathews. Junior veterans returning for Hubbard include Lauren Ferguson, Brittany Lange and Gabby Flynn.
Lakeview (1-1, 1-1 TAC) coach Scott Taylor, who has just one senior on his roster, knew his team was in for a tough night.
"Hubbard is well-coached and a senior-laden team, most of their players have been together a long time. It's tough to have a match of this magnitude this early in the season," Taylor said. "We have a lot of work to do, it showed tonight. Hubbard uncovered some weaknesses we have to address."
Lakeview's only returning players are senior Rachael Karasiewicz and junior Joanna Novotny, who was credited with 10 kills and two blocks.
The sparklers
Hubbard got 15 kills and four blocks from Paddock, nine kills from Lange and four blocks from Bogdan. Ferguson contributed 29 assists and 21 serving points, including five aces. Budd added nine digs.
"Paddock can be a dominant player," Montgomery said. "Her blocking at the net puts pressure on the other team and you know she will put the ball in play someplace when she spikes.
"We played solid defense tonight. That always has been one of our strengths," he said. "We blocked well at the net, preventing them from hitting the ball down, and we were digging almost everything they hit."
Hubbard won the junior varsity match, 26-24, 25-16.