43
Salem makes quick work of Fitch, Girard
By Greg Gulas
SALEM
The Salem Quakers started the season by winning three of their first four contests, yet stood at .500 after both Louisville and Carrollton high schools swept them in consecutive outings.
That’s when they dug in and found an identity.
The Quakers (8-3) stopped the Girard Indians, 25-5 and 25-11, in the opener of their tri-match Saturday at John A. Cabas Gymnasium, and closed the day’s action with 25-12 and 25-20 victories over Austintown Fitch for their fifth consecutive win.
Getting back to the basics and concentrating on their own game was the key, according to Quakers coach Allie Winner.
“Our goal since dropping those two games was to forget about what team we were playing — don’t worry about what the other team is doing and just go out and play Salem volleyball,” Winner said. “Passing is the key to winning in volleyball and in both games our passes were right where they needed to be. We have the hitters to complete the job today, that was because our passes were spot on in both games.
“Overall, we had a nice game against Girard and then against Austintown Fitch in the nightcap had a nice first game but got a little passive in the second game. A timeout corrected that as we put together a strong finish.”
Maria Shivers led the Quakers with six kills and five aces against the Indians while Kelly Barley added three aces and 21 assists and Taylor Holenchick had five kills.
“What we did best today was communicate with each other. We had excellent teamwork and hustled and that was the key to winning both games,” Holenchick said.
Against the Falcons (2-6, 2-2 All-American Conference Red), Shivers added seven kills and an ace, Holenchick had an ace and six kills and Alyssa Pallo chipped in with 10 digs.
“I had no idea what to expect from either opponent, but they challenged us and we kept up the energy,” Pallo said. “Choosing our spots, placing the ball, good rotations and working together were the keys. Two wins is a real confidence booster.”
Austintown Fitch also stopped the Indians (2-7, 0-4 AAC Red), 25-16 and 25-22 in an AAC match to earn a split.
“Our win against the Indians was big because it’s a league win. The first game was a struggle, but we bounced back and played really well in the second game,” Falcons coach Steve Mohr said. “Today, we were able to dig the ball when Salem pounded it but had trouble with the serve-receive and that is something that we need to address as we move ahead.”
Sarah Obradovich had four kills and five digs, Marissa Marks three aces and Katarina Lewis five assists for the Falcons in their game against the Indians, while Marks registered three blocks, Obradovich seven kills and two aces, Lewis eight assists and Keara Katcher 14 digs in the finale against the Quakers.
The Indians suffered their seventh straight defeat after starting the season with consecutive wins.
“Serving into the seams and getting our hits down helped us today,” the Falcons’ Natalie Lynn said.
The Indians were short on players due to ACT testing, but Girard coach Phil Walters said there were plenty of positives from his team’s play.
“We basically had half of our team due to the ACT and while this was a young group of players, it’s a group that gained some valuable experience,” Walters said. “There are no excuses because they did an excellent job of competing and did really well playing at this level. We are our own worst enemy at times so we need to work on the little things and then go out and execute as we get into the heart of our schedule.”
Lexi Crown led Girard with three assists, Megan Payich two kills and Melanie Bakes six digs against the Quakers. Makayla Trebella registered three kills and four aces, Crown nine assists and a block, Payich and Lorren Alejars three kills and Bakes six digs against the Falcons.