- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Lineup switch produces win
It seems like an odd time to make a lineup change.
But that’s what Woodstock Academy coach Adam Bottone did this past week.
The Centaurs are riding a 12-game win streak heading into their final regular season match against Waterford Oct. 29 (results of that match were too late for this edition).
But Bottone didn’t think the team had reached optimum performance yet.
So he pulled the trigger Oct. 25.
Former setter Marissa Mayhew is now the libero. Katie Papp, the former libero, moved to opposite hitter. Paige Audet took over at setter and Gabby Garbutt and Aurissa Boardman now share the outside hitter duties when Paula Hernandez is on the back row.
“I’ve done this twice before in my career, around this time, and both have been successful when I’ve done it,” Bottone said. “A lot of people might look at it and think ‘Oh man, what’s he doing. He’s really going to mess things up.’ I have faith in my girls in what they’re doing in the positions that I have put them in.”
He had conversations with them prior to making the changes and they were all on board.
Bottone said there were a couple of reasons for the lineup change.
Mayhew had been struggling a bit more at setter than she had in the recent past.
Mayhew was drafted into the setter position and began to have troubles recently with double touches.
While Mayhew was battling her setter demons, Papp was also dealing with issues at libero.
Audet, meanwhile, had been working at setter in practice and the rest of the team was beginning to get comfortable with her sets.
Papp gives the Centaurs more of a middle hitter on the opposite side, strengthening the block, while Mayhew is a better passer and defender from the back.
“The one thing that I’m apprehensive about is that while Marissa is not a natural setter, her ability to get to balls and make things happen is the reason I went with her in the first place. Now, if we don’t get a great pass, I kind of lose that with Paige but I think the girls understand the game better now and can step in, take that second ball and do something positive with it,” Bottone said.
It certainly didn’t hurt the Centaurs Oct. 25.
They downed Newtown, 3-0, to raise their record to 14-4 on the season.
Mayhew finished with nine digs and 11 service points while Audet had 15 assists.
Senior Paula Hernandez was her typical self with 15 kills and 17 digs.
Newtown (10-6) helped the Centaurs’ effort with numerous service errors.
That was something that has haunted Woodstock Academy recently, but the Centaurs made only six service errors in the match.
The Centaurs won the first set 25-17 and followed that up with wins of 25-18 and 25-15 for the sweep.
Bottone seriously considered the change of duties earlier in the week when the Centaurs had to rebound from a 2-0 deficit to hand Sports Medical Sciences Academy a 3-2 loss.
He had already, in practice, been working with Papp on the opposite side to see what her swings looked like with Audet at setter and Mayhew in the back row.
He liked what he saw, and the match against SMSA made his mind up.
Bottone said the 12-match win streak is unexpected, but clearly welcomed.
“I think we’re in a good place,” Bottone said. “The girls are positive. Someone actually said (after the Newtown match) that she thought the change was a good one and made us stronger. I look at the mindset of the girls. We’re going to have good days and bad days on the court, but if they are in a positive way and working hard then I’m confident.”
Following the final regular season match with Waterford, the Centaurs have the ECC tournament where he looks at Fitch as a serious challenge.
Then, the Centaurs will take on the challenge of trying to make it to their third consecutive Class L state championship match.
“More so than in years past, the state tournament is anybody’s. Bristol Eastern beat RHAM in five, they’re pretty even. Greenwich had their way with Bristol Eastern and if we were to play Greenwich now, I think we would win. There is a lot of parity this year (in Class L). It’s up for grabs,” Bottone said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
..