ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Rocky River moved forward in district tournament play following a 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-12) victory over Canal Fulton Northwest on Thursday evening.

Sixth-seeded Rocky River (15-7) broke free after a close first set and would dominate the rest of the way on a night that saw Pirate swatters post a .299 attack percentage. River's fourth straight win and the team's eighth in its last nine matches propels the team into a Wednesday match at No. 4-seed Tallmadge, as the DII Northeast Ohio District Tournament brackets roll into a second week of action.

In Thursday's match at Rocky River Gymnasium, the Pirates turned aside a Northwest (11-12) team which had won 6-of-its-last-7 matches. River displayed a great deal of depth up and down the roster. Notable performances were registered by senior Emma Liszeski (seven digs, four service aces), senior Austoria Miller (nine kills, seven digs), senior Emily Slyman (three kills, seven digs, 34 assists), junior Taylor Spies (15 digs, two aces), junior Paige Waite (11 kills while hitting .625), and freshman Samantha Young (12 kills, 14 digs). Seven Pirates registered kills on the night, and the Maroon & White gave their own front court a rest on 10 other points with 10 aces.

The victory at the Corner of Wagar & Detroit lifted Rocky River's home record to 8-2, and that mark now includes four straight wins.

Another trend most definitely in play is River's performance of late at the net. The Pirates have now hit .277 over their last four matches. 

Up front, back deep, and off the bench, the Wagar Raiders have been a hit lately. River fans hope those hits keep on coming through next week and beyond.


CANNON FIRE ...

HITTING STRIDE: Rocky River went into Thursday's match with a .193 attack percentage. That performance spells a 40-point improvement over last years .153 mark, and it's the program's best single-season figure since 2017 when the Pirates swung their way to a .235 percentage. ... Samantha Young's first kill Thursday marked her 200th of the season. Young -- who hit a robust .458 against Northwest -- has logged 129 kills in 34 sets (3.8 kills per set) since Oct. 1.

STACKED DECK: River servers have racked up 69 aces over the team's last four matches. On the season, the Pirates have clocked 2.5 aces per set; they've posted 4.6 per set since Oct. 12. Emma Liszeski (41 aces, 15.4%), Young (27, 13.4%) and Clare Duffy (25, 12.5%) lead the Double-R in putting un-volleyed volleyballs in play.


by Skip Snow