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Devilish duo: Hughes, Maslach reach milestones
By Steve WILAJ
BERLIN CENTER
Going into Thursday’s Senior Night matchup against Sebring, Western Reserve’s Aleah Hughes knew what was at stake. With five kills, she would reach the 1,100 for her career.
But that wasn’t the only looming Blue Devils milestone. Western Reserve’s all-time assist mark also sat right around the corner for Rachel Maslach.
“Before the game, we knew how many we needed to get close for both of us,” Hughes said. “So the plan was to have her set until it happened.”
Midway through the second game of an eventual Western Reserve sweep of the Trojans, it happened just like countless times before.
Maslach set for Hughes, who recorded kill number 1,100 as Maslach tallied the record-breaking assist — number 1,034 of her career. Play was then briefly stopped for an announcement that honored the two Blue Devils seniors for their accomplishments.
“It was perfect — a really great thing to be able to share with Aleah,” Maslach said. “[Before the play] we both knew it was the last one we needed. It was a good pass, we set it and she got the kill.”
Western Reserve coach Jennifer Lorenzi said it was a special moment for two special players.
“They’re both extremely hard workers, talented young ladies and very knowledgeable about the sport,” she said. “They’re the greatest team athletes you can ask for and some of the most humble you’ll ever coach.”
Hughes — who paced the Blue Devils (17-4, 12-0 Inter Tri-County League, Tier Two) with 12 kills in victories of 25-7, 25-10 and 25-9 — said the accomplishments are the results of hard work and practice.
“I couldn’t do it without my teammates,” she said. “Just to know I have all of my teammates behind me, it’s a great accomplishment to get.
“Me and Rachel are good friends, so it was just nice that we got it together. It’s big accomplishments for both of us.”
Maslach, who finished with 12 points, 11 kills and 11 digs, echoed those sentiments.
“It definitely takes a lot of hard work and determination to keep up and keep working to get consistent sets for my hitters,” she said. “It was a pretty big goal of mine to achieve, so I was pretty happy and excited. It was definitely a nice night to share with all my teammates.”
The Blue Devils honored six seniors on the night. The others are Sabrina Miller, Marissa Phipps, Taylor Wilson and Ashley Burcaw, who recorded eight points, nine digs and six aces.
“This entire program is blessed to have this senior group because they’re all hard-working,” Lorenzi said. “These seniors have definitely set an example of hard work, dedication and teamwork.”
Western Reserve must wait to see who it will play in its tournament opener. The Blue Devils will face the winner of Sebring and Youngstown Christian.
“We’re going to play with everything we have,” Hughes said. “Just leave it all on the court with no regrets.”