Canfield volleyball drops Howland

By Ryan Buck

sports @vindy.com

HOWLAND

Canfield volleyball coach Maria Householder has instilled a simple mentality before her team takes the court for each match. It’s an immediate sense of urgency, she says.

“First point on the board,” Householder said. “To get the first point on the board is always our goal.”

Her team, now 10-1, complied nicely, leaving Howland with a straight set 25-10, 25-18, 25-10 victory Thursday night.

Much to their coach’s delight, Canfield recorded the opening point in the match’s first set and never looked back in a convincing win over an All-American Conference rival.

“They jumped right on them,” Householder said. “That’s been our goal to not have a warm-up period. It’s just difficult trying to come back and it’s hard trying to fight back. We wanted to start out strong and we did that tonight.

“It’s the confidence that we’re going to go in and we’re ready to play right off the bat. It’s just something we like to use as a goal.”

Consider junior outside hitter Morgan Leonard a believer. She led the Cardinals with 10 kills for the match, continuously attacking the net to elevate and end many Howland rallies.

“We make that first point a goal for every match,” Leonard said. “If we don’t get it, we strive for the next one and we push it.

“We have a really on-point team and every one of the girls on this team works extremely hard. Everyone deserves everything they get and it comes together very nicely because we’re dedicated to one another. It flows together.”

After the easy opening set victory, Howland cut its deficit to six in the second game when Tigers standout Christian Carr delivered one of her team-leading eight kills.

Canfield was apparently unfazed as Maddy Johns won service back for the Cardinals on the next sequence. Leonard won the Cardinals’ 24th point of the set with a powerful spike that split the Howland defense. The rout was on.

“We practice a whole lot on passing and ball control,” Householder said. “It starts from there. If you can’t get the ball to the setter, you can’t get the ball to the hitter and the hitter can’t get the ball down.

“We want to run stuff. We’re trying to run some different routes and different hits so other teams won’t know where we’re coming from.”

In the third set, Canfield broke open an 8-6 lead when senior Darby Hepola, Leonard and their solid set of setters found their rhythm.

Hepola gave the Cardinals a 10-6 lead and cruised to the clinching set win when Johns and Emma Hartshorn recorded consecutive points to put their team ahead 22-9.

Hepola’s diving effort — after a desperate scramble by twins Janie and Rachel Rafoth — found its way over the net and clipped the back right corner for a 24-9 advantage in a wild sequence.

“[Canfield] came in and controlled it from the very beginning,” said Howland coach Amanda Lingenfelter. “We don’t have nearly the type of ball control that they have and the defense they have. They just come out swinging and we saw what can happen.”

For Howland, Cassie Murcko recorded eight kills, Alexis Miner had 12 assists and Carr added six digs and two blocks in another impressive performance.