Pioneers are 8-1 in CAL play
Published in the October 4, 2017 edition
SENIOR Maxine Boyle (11) sends one over to the Hornets during Lynnfield’s 3-0 victory over North Reading on Monday at LHS. Also pictured are Sofia Ciriello (left), Samantha Lebruska (4), Melissa Morelli (13) and Samantha DeGeorge (14). (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
LYNNFIELD — The LHS volleyball team continued the great start to their 2017 season with a 3-0 win over rival North Reading at Lynnfield High School on Monday night. It was the second win in a row as the team beat Ipswich 3-0 last Wednesday.
Against the Hornets, Lynnfield controlled the first set from start to finish, winning it 25-9.
“We came out really strong in the first set,” said head coach Michelle Perrone.
North Reading would battle back in a highly-contested second set that saw the Hornets dig in to an early deficit and eventually tie it at 16. North Reading gave Lynnfield’s back line some trouble as the Hornets raced out to a 22-17 lead, forcing Perrone to call a timeout.
“We got caught on our heels in the second set,” said Perrone. “We were a little lazy with our communication but we reintegrated our strategy during a couple of timeouts and got back on track.”
The Pioneers picked up five straight points after that timeout thanks in large part to some great serving from sophomore libero Sofia Ciriello. The Hornets and Pioneers alternated points late in the set much to the delight of some rowdy fans from both towns as this match added another exciting chapter to the Lynnfield North Reading athletic tome.
“That was a lot of fun,” said Perrone. “This was the loudest it’s been all season so it’s nice to play in that kind of atmosphere.”
The Pioneers took the second set, 26-24.
During the third set, the Pioneers got some early kills from junior Samantha DeGeorge and senior Emory Caswell to hang with a rejuvenated Hornet team. The Pioneers took back control to take a 10-6 lead after three aces from senior Ali McPherson, whose serves were too much for the Hornets to handle all match. Sophomore Samantha Lebruska followed that up with some great serves of her own to help Lynnfield maintain control throughout the second set, as the Pioneers won it 25-16.
“One of the things we really focus on is serving,” said Perrone. “Everybody practices serving to hit certain spots and that really becomes beneficial during the matches.
The Pioneers beat the Tigers in straight sets, 25-21, 25-23 and 25-11 to break a two-game losing streak caused by North Andover and the CAL-leading Hamilton-Wenham Generals.
Lynnfield hosts Newburyport on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and will get a shot at some revenge against the non-league North Andover Knights on Friday, 5:30 p.m. at LHS.
Lynnfield is 9-2 overall and 8-1 in the Cape Ann League, which is good for second place as Hamilton-Wenham is currently undefeated at 11-0. The Pioneers will get a home matchup against the Generals on Wednesday, October 18, but for now, the focus will be to remain consistent throughout the back half of the schedule as they ready for a likely tournament appearance.
“We want to build better consistency,” said Perrone. “Our goal is to make the tournament and make a solid run.”
