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Hudson too much for Canfield
By Joe Scalzo
STOW
Depending on the moment of Thursday’s Division I district final, you could see Canfield High volleyball coach Maria Householder tapping her leg, rubbing her knees, pulling her hair, screaming (for her team), steaming (at the officials), beaming (particularly during the second game) and bragging (afterward).
“How can’t you be?” she said. “A game like that, if you’re not in it, you’re not watching it.
“The girls are fighting for me, for the school, for each other. I feel like I’ve got to be fighting for them, too.”
That approach — both by the Cardinals and their coach — was one of the big reasons why Canfield was able to run off a 24-game winning streak.
And it’s one of the reasons the Cardinals were able to take a game off the defending regional champions before Hudson took over down the stretch, winning 25-19, 16-25, 25-14, 25-14 at Stow-Munroe Falls High School.
“Obviously we wanted to win, but I think we kind of knew [it might not happen] a little bit,” Canfield senior Rachel Rafoth said. “I’m just proud we played one great game of volleyball, that we gave it our all and that we left it all out there.
“That’s all you can do in a match like that.”
Rafoth had 60 digs for the Cardinals (24-2), who hadn’t lost since their opener against Salem. Her sister, Janie, had 30 assists while senior Darby Hepola had eight blocks, junior Morgan Leonard had 10 kills, junior Emma Hartshorn had eight kills, sophomore Jessica Meissner had 23 digs and sophomore Maddy Johns made 11 blocks.
Leonard injured her left knee early in the fourth game — she was helped off and did not return — so freshman Morgan Cleevely also saw some game action.
Hudson coach Jessica Pompei emphasized getting off to a fast start and the Explorers obliged in their three wins, jumping out to a 10-5 lead each time.
“We needed to establish a big-enough lead that, once they started playing, we could afford to give up a couple points here or there,” she said.
Senior Jordan Mackay led second-seeded Hudson (20-4) with 19 kills and 12 digs, while Allison Rense had 10 kills and six blocks, Madison Przybocki had 22 digs and Alyssa Disandis had 43 assists.
“I knew they [the Cardinals] were a good team, but they don’t play the strongest competition,” Pompei said. “If they played a little better competition this season, the result could have been different. They have some good athletes and good court awareness. They definitely gave us a good match.
“They deserve to be here.”
Competition might be one problem, but enrollment is definitely another. The Cardinals have built one of the area’s best volleyball programs in recent years, winning Division II district titles in 2011 and 2012.
But this year’s run might be even more impressive since they field one of the smallest Division I schools in the state — Hudson’s enrollment is about twice their size — yet still knocked off top-seeded Walsh Jesuit in the district semifinals.
“We knew this [Hudson game] was gonna be a battle, but we wanted to make it the biggest battle that we could,” Householder said. “We’re creating a program that’s strong from seventh grade to varsity. We’re trying to create a family, trying to build from the bottom up. We’ve got great coaches from middle school that give us great players and we want a team out there.
“We’re not looking for individuals who can win the whole game. We’re looking for a team that can win the game.”