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Mooney volleyball holds off Boardman in regular season finale
By curtis pulliam
Youngstown
Nichole Webber was overcome with emotion after her last kill.
While she celebrated with her teammates, it was more a sense of relief for the senior.
“It was amazing,” Webber said. “Words can’t even describe it. It was the last point ever at our home court.”
The point meant more than usual as Cardinal Mooney pulled out a five-set victory over the Boardman Spartans Wednesday.
The sets were 25-19, 21-25, 25-23, 21-25 and 15-13.
Webber worried a little during the match but the Cardinals were able to control their emotions.
“It was hard because we were pumped up because it was senior night,” Webber said. “At the same time, it’s our last home game so we had to win it.”
The Cardinals improved to 18-2 this season.
“Whenever you can get a win on senior night,” Mooney coach Tony Gorvet said. “It was a great match and could have went either way.”
The 10 seniors for Mooney made their presence felt. Gina Patella had 57 assists, Webber finished with 18 kills and Mckenzie Reese added 29 digs.
“I just can’t say enough,” Gorvet said. “They put Mooney volleyball on the map. This group are the difference-makers in the program.”
Boardman head coach Andrew Wade loved the ways his girls battled.
“They played hard and they wanted it,” Wade said. “It’s definitely a cross-town rivalry and all the girls know each other which makes it a fun match.”
Reese, who added 13 kills for Mooney, believes all the emotions played a role in the victory.
“Having it senior night and playing against our biggest rivals was a factor,” Reese said. “It was awesome to beat a pretty decent team. It felt good.”
Wade’s team pulled out wins in the second and fourth sets but came up short in the fifth.
“The girls were super excited,” Wade said. “You can tell tonight that no one wanted to lose.”
Webber says the match was an eye-opener for her.
“It showed us we have a lot to work on still,” Webber said. “We’re not unbeatable. We just need to focus more in practice.”
The non-conference match provided a solid tune-up for the two teams with postseason play looming.
“This is way we you got to play if you’re going to win the tournament,” Grovet said.
The little things made the difference according to Wade.
“We got stuck in a couple of rotations,” Wade said. “And the ball didn’t fall our way a couple of times.”
Mooney started strong in the first set.
Up 21-16, Webber and teammate Marcella Adams finished the set by smashing consecutive kills.
Boardman didn’t go away.
Hope Landers had 15 kills and Katie Platt added 49 assists for the Spartans (13-7).
Reese is very happy for the team and the rest of the seniors.
“It was a huge win because these girls are more than my teammates, they’re my sisters,” Reese said. “I’ve been playing with them since kindergarten so it just felt awesome.”