Spartans develop into squad to be reckoned with

Boardman meets Solon
in a Division I regional semifinal tonight.

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

BOARDMAN — As his team got ready for the postseason two weeks ago, Boardman High volleyball coach Glen Sivak knew his team had a chance of winning its first district title in school history.

He also knew it was capable of losing early.

“We had a lot of ups and downs during the season and we did not play real consistent,” said Sivak, whose team had finished 11 -10 in the regular season and in the middle of the pack in the Federal League. “But I knew we had a shot.”

Although his two best players, Danielle Bletso and Danielle Williams, were seniors, most of his team was young. Inconsistency was part of the deal. But playing a tough Federal League schedule helped them grow up and the Spartans entered the Div. I tournament at Stow High School as the second seed.

“We had the weapons on offense,” said Sivak, “but we needed to pass well and play defense.”

Boardman opened with Kent Roosevelt, winning in four sets, to set up a sectional final match with rival Fitch, which won six district titles in seven years before falling short last season.

The Spartans won in three, then crushed Cuyahoga Falls in the district semis.

“That was probably our three best games of the season,” Sivak said of the Cuyahoga Falls match. “Everything went just right.”

That set up a district final with Copley.

The Spartans had played in a district final before — they lost to Fitch two years ago — they just haven’t won one.

“The girls were confident, but they were nervous,” said Sivak, whose team will play Solon in a Division I regional semifinal tonight at Hudson High School. “You could tell they were nervous, but after the first 14 points, they settled down.”

Boardman won in straight sets, 25-22, 25-22, 25-20. After the game, one of the parents came up to Sivak and asked, “Aren’t you excited?”

“I said, ‘I am excited, but it doesn’t show,’ ” he said. “I was happy for my players. It’s all for them.

“I’m glad for the seniors and I’m glad for the younger players who get this experience. It’s a lot of fun.”

scalzo@vindy.com