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Boardman Spartans sweep Howland at Stow
Photo
Boardman’s Megan Volosin, left, spikes the ball as Howland’s Olivia Goodman (18) tries to make a block at the net Tuesday night. The Spartans swept the Tigers in three games in a first-round sectional match at tow-Munroe Falls High School.
By Ryan Buck
STOW
Anyone who follows the game of basketball is inundated with the ubiquitous clich , “Basketball is a game of runs.”
So is volleyball. Teams that string together longer and more frequent runs are habitually victorious.
The Boardman volleyball team was a prime example Tuesday night as the Spartans swept Howland, 25-19, 25-19, 25-22 in their best-of-five, first-round match in the Division I sectional at Stow-Munroe Falls High School.
“We were able to get that first tournament game out of the way, which is always a nerve-wracking one,” said first-year Boardman coach Andy Wade.
The Spartans (16-7), coming off a three-match win streak to close the regular season, set the tone with a strong opening game. With junior Faith Saunders serving, the Spartans broke the game open in the middle stages and earned the all-important first game.
“The first game’s always huge,” Wade said. “It always puts a little more pressure on the team that lost in that they have to come back and win three of the next four. It settled our nerves down. It carried us through the next two games.”
With the score tied at 4 in game two, more effective service from the Spartans gave them a five-point run.
Senior Molly Lyons’ powerful serves forced the Tigers (13-7) into too many miscues.
“They serve really tough,” Howland coach Amanda Lingenfelter said. “They kept a lot of pressure on us. Our serve-receive didn’t really step up and play. Defensively, we didn’t step up and play.”
Middle blocker Amanda Lipke and outside hitter Megan Volosin punctuated the series with back-to-back blocks at the net for points.
“We have a great offensive attack, but it all starts with our passing,” Wade said. “Our passing came around the second game so we were able to get some of our big hitters moving a little bit.”
Boardman led by as many as six points late in game two. With District Player of the Year Erika Lapmardo leading the charge, Howland crept back to within four points.
After a long rally, Boardman junior outside hitter Katie Seeco timed a perfectly placed drop shot to win the game’s 24th point. She clinched a two-games-to-none lead on her serve.
“We work on them a lot in practice,” Seeco said of the strategy that fools aggressive blockers at the net.
The motion resembles a shorter point guard driving the lane and floating a shot over the out-stretched arms of an over-zealous shot-blocker.
“My other outside hitter (Volosin) is the girl that hits all the hard shots,” Seeco said. “They’ll be used to her hard hits and I’ll come in and just drop them.”
Lingenfelter had a simple message for her squad before game three.
“Just leave it all out on the court,” she told them. “How do you want to end your year? Playing at your highest level of volleyball or letting somebody come in and put the pressure on you?”
Boardman had her answer as they battled back to take a six-point lead after trailing 10-8.
In desperation, Lapmardo and Howland cut their deficit to one late in the game.
“We were able to match their intensity and let our ability take over,” Wade said, describing his message during his ensuing timeout.
Boardman closed it out with the final two points to advance. The Spartans play Hudson on Thursday.
Saunders led Boardman with seven aces and 20 assists, Volosin had 10 kills and six digs and Amanda Lipke had three blocks.
Lapmardo (11 kills, 12 digs, 11 points, three aces), Megan Papalas (28 assists, four points), Kelly Dungan (nine kills), Erika Airhart (10 digs) and Olivia Goodman (three blocks) led Howland.