ROCKY RIVER, Ohio – Rocky River lost a hard-fought, five-set match to Westlake (25-20, 22-25, 26-24, 22-25, 15-17) on Saturday in what marked the 2019 season-opening contest for both teams.
Westlake (1-0) prevailed in a remarkable match that saw four of the five games decided by three points or less. The five-set contest marked a reprise of a 3-2 Demon win in last year’s season opener (Aug. 18, 2018). The west-side neighbors have met to open the season in each of the last nine years (2011-19); Westlake has won each of the last four August opener meetings and three of those have been 3-2 results.
With a new-look front-court, Rocky River (0-1) swung its way
to an .062 hitting percentage at Rocky River Gymnasium on Saturday. The Pirates
were tagged with 31 hitting and 22 ball-handling errors.
Senior Emily Stanciu logged 15 kills and eight service aces in the match. River’s service game was sharp – the Pirates garnered 21 aces over the five sets. Junior Austoria Miller had 11 kills. Sophomore Paige Waite swatted her way to eight kills and a .262 average.
Senior Amanda Franz had a team-high 35 digs while committing
just five errors on the back line. Franz also had four aces and four assists.
Sophomore Taylor Spies carded six aces, 17 assists and 11 digs. Junior Emily
Slyman had 18 assists.
“This wasn’t the outcome we wanted for our home opener, but I couldn’t be prouder,” said Head Coach Karlee Bruck, whose Pirates went 37-13 (.740) over the last two seasons. “It’s time to work out some kinks on Monday and then play another match on Tuesday.”
That Tuesday match will open 2019 Great Lakes Conference play – the Pirates will host the Normandy Invaders (6:30 p.m.).
CANNON FIRE …
ACES KEY IN GAME OF ‘21’: River’s 21 aces on Saturday amounted to 4.2 per set, an average topped just four times by last year’s 17-8 squad. The Pirates landed a season-high 6.7 aces per set (20 total) against Parma on Sept. 25. Emily Stanciu, who missed last season due to injury, was third on the 2017 squad with 31 aces as a sophomore.
PIRATES & DEMONS: Rocky River and Westlake have opened against each other in every season since 2011. The Demons have won five of those nine meetings. Their current streak (four years) was preceded by River winning the opener each year from 2012-15.
by Skip Snow
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