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Salem, Canfield advance to final
By Jim Flick
BOARDMAN
After winning semifinal matchups Monday night, the volleyball squads from Salem and Canfield will meet Thursday night to decide the Division II district championship.
In the first match Monday night at Boardman High School, Canfield (23-1) swept Southeast (18-7), 25-19, 25-15, 25-17.
The second match of the night was a hard-fought battle between Salem (25-1) and Hubbard (16-9). Salem struggled through a long series of extra points before winning 32-30 in the first set. The Quakers then won the second set 25-22 and the third 25-18.
Senior Cassie Davidson slammed home the final point to clinch the victory.
The Thursday night match, scheduled to start at 7 p.m., will be the second consecutive year Salem has advanced to the district championship. Last year the Quakers lost to Field in the final.
“I knew that whoever won that first game was going to have the advantage the rest of the night,” said Salem coach Don Conser.
Conser admitted the Eagles put up a tough fight during the entire match. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I thought that if we played well we could do it,” he said.
“I think the difference was the confidence the girls had” after winning the first match, he said.
Alexis Smith, a senior, led the Quakers with 18 kills and 26 digs, and recorded 22 assists while Davidson was credited with 10 kills, 23 digs, and two aces. Lindsey Foster, a junior, had 11 kills, three blocks and aces, while senior Kayleigh Null earned 23 assists.
For Hubbard, Maris Sarisky, a junior, had 14 kills and 15 digs, while senior Kaitlyn Evans recorded 10 kills, nine digs and three aces. Marquette Gasser, a junior, was credited with 36 assists, while junior Emily Perry earned scored 12 points and 14 digs. Meghan DeMaiolo, a junior, recorded eight blocks.
The Canfield squad “was nervous for a tournament game,” said coach Ronie Haurin.
Ellie Rafoth, a senior, was a key to the Cardinals’ victory, earning 34 assists, along with 15 points and two aces.
“She’s been a solid player all season long. She pretty much runs the show out there. I have total confidence in her wherever she’s at on the court,” said Haurin.
“We had a total team effort,” Haurin added. “A lot of kids out there doing a lot of good things.”
Sabrina Mangapora, a junior, led Canfield with 16 kills, including a kill that ended the match.
Mangapora was also credited with two blocks and six digs. Abby Malsch, a senior, recorded 10 kills and 14 digs for the Cardinals, while senior Holly Rolla had four kills and four blocks.
Rachel Rafoth, a freshman, was credited with seven digs and two aces, while freshman Jamie Rafoth had 10 points and two aces.
For Southeast, junior Alana Woodard was credited with 13 kills, and senior Danielle Sells had four kills. Brittany Butcher, a sophomore, had 13 assists, while junior Tiffany Sanders had six assists, and senior Emily Willis had seven digs and four points for the Pirates.