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Volleyball
team back to winning
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The Woodstock Academy volleyball team won its last 20 matches last season.
That streak was ended by RHAM in the Class L state championship.
The Centaurs have picked up where they left off this season.
After a season-opening, 3-2, victory over East Lyme the week before, the Centaurs reeled off another close 3-2 win over Waterford Sept. 10 and followed that up with a pair of 3-0 victories over Ledyard and Plainfield.
The Centaurs had to come back in both of their first matches after trailing East Lyme, 2-0, and Waterford, 2-1, in those matches.
“The silver lining I can take out of that is that last year, or any previous year, if that had happened early in the season, it would have been lights out for us. It showed early on in the season that we’re a team that can fight, that can hang in, and we can win those tough matches. That’s a huge positive,” said Woodstock Academy coach Adam Bottone.
Bottone expected Waterford to be a tough match for a couple of reasons.
Not only are the Lancers pretty good, but they brought their ‘A’ game.
“A lot of schools around the state are looking at us as a perennial powerhouse. We lost Caroline Eaton, but we return most of our hitting power, most of our defense, our setter. We have some girls with a lot of experience out there on the court and when teams come to play us, they expect they will lose, and they have the mindset of ‘What do we have to lose?’ We have to come into every game prepared and mentally tough,” Bottone said.
The Centaurs did that Sept. 12 against Ledyard.
After two close battles to open the season, the Woodstock Academy volleyball team finally had a little breathing room Sept. 12.
The Centaurs jumped out to an easy win in the first set and rode the momentum to the three-game sweep of the Colonels.
“There is less stress,” coach Adam Bottone said with a laugh in regard to the three-game sweep. “I think the big difference was that our defense was a lot better. Things we worked on (Tuesday) transferred to the game which doesn’t happen too often or, at least, as quickly as we want it to so that was good.”
The Centaurs, behind six kills from Natalie Low and four from Paula Hernandez won the first set with ease, 25-6.
Bottone wasn’t ready to call it the best set of the season thus far.
“That was the cleanest set so far this season. Energy-wise, maybe not, but when you breakdown the technique, the technical aspect, it was the best set this year,” Bottone said.
Hernandez, who finished with 16 kills, didn’t get her first until late in the first set, but when she did, it was impressive.
She got off to a running start and delivered a fast ball into the center of the Ledyard defense that no one touched.
“It felt awesome,” the junior said. “It was a perfect set.”
That set was delivered by senior Sammie Orlowski who finished with 34 assists.
“We have a connection and we know what each other wants to do before we start a game. I’m really happy to have Sammie because we couldn’t do anything without her,” Hernandez said.
The Centaurs, much to Bottone’s chagrin, relaxed a little and Ledyard took advantage, making it much closer in the last two sets, won by the Centaurs 25-15 and 25-23.
“When we got up a little in that second set, they started goofing around a little on the court, laughing and joking around. I think the focus came off of playing the game and doing the things we needed to do and we began to think it was in the bag and let’s relax a little. I addressed that between the second and third sets,” Bottone said.
The third set was even closer because Bottone substituted liberally.
“While those girls may not play a lot, it’s important for them to get playing time, because if we need them, they have to be ready to go. The game experience is huge,” Bottone said.
Bekah Wesler had 17 digs for Woodstock.
The Centaurs then rolled to their fourth straight victory over the Panthers Sept. 14.
Hernandez led the way with 15 kills while Low added 12.
Orlowski helped those kills with 16 assists while fellow senior Emma Green had 12.
Wesler, who started in place of Maddy Gronski, who is under the weather, for a second straight game finished with 12 digs.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy
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