FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio – Rocky River closed out its regular season with a 3-0 loss to the Fairview Warriors in Great Lakes Conference play on Thursday.
Prevailing by a line score of 26-24, 25-20, 25-17, Fairview
handed the Pirates just their fourth 3-0 loss of the season.
Rocky River (14-8, 11-5 GLC) was tagged with 37 digging
errors, its most in a three-set match this season. The Pirates and Warriors
finish their first GLC season series tied one game apiece. River defeated
Fairview, 3-2, at home on Sept. 10.
In that 3-2 victory at the Corner of Wagar & Detroit,
the Pirates pounded out 12 aces. The Maroon & White would be held to just
three aces on Thursday.
The Pirates hit .161 (down from a .225 mark in the Sept. 10
meeting), but aggressive and accurate swats by the Warriors were the biggest
difference maker. Fairview had River on its heels defensively, and the Pirate
backcourt would come away with 39 digs against 37 errors.
For the match, Paige Waite had 10 kills while hitting .533.
Taylor Spies had two kills, two aces, 19 assists and seven digs. Amanda Franz
logged 12 digs against just four errors in defending the Pirate hardwood.
The Pirates are now postseason-bound. Rocky River is the No.
4 seed in the DII
Parma Heights District Tournament which will be held at Holy Name High
School from Oct. 15-26. The Pirates will open play on Oct. 17 with a 7:30 p.m.
match against the winner of Firelands-Clearview.
CANNON FIRE …
ACES ERASED: Rocky River’s three aces Thursday marked their fewest in a match since a Sept. 24 loss to Holy Name in which the Pirates managed just one. River went into Thursday’s regular season finale averaging 2.2 aces per set.
FRANZ FACTOID: With her 12 digs at Fairview, Amanda Franz has now registered 58 digs against just 14 errors over River’s last three matches. … In other dig-worthy news, Emily Stanciu hit the 500-dig mark for her career in Rocky River’s 3-1 win over Elyria Catholic on Oct. 3. Stanciu had six digs on Thursday and now has 518 (to go with 472 kills) for her career.
A ONE-PAIGE NOTE: With a six-match hot streak that began on Sept. 28, sophomore hitter Paige Waite is now hitting over .300 for the season. Over those six matches – including Thursday night’s effort at Fairview – Waite is hitting .337 with 86 kills. The sophomore swatter owns a .303 mark for the season, a would-be first .300 for River since Ava Rauser pounded out a .361 average in 2017.
by Skip Snow
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