ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Oct. 4, 2022) -- On Tuesday evening at the Corner of Wagar & Detroit, the Pirates earned a monster home-court victory over the Westlake Demons. Rocky River served up a season-high 17 aces and got a program-single-match-record 36 kills from junior Samantha Young, and it earned a Great Lakes Conference West Division-standings-altering 3-1 (26-28,25-10,27-25,25-12) triumph over Westlake.
Rocky River (12-4, 7-2 GLC West) rallied after a tense 28-26 setback in game No. 1. In the second set, a gutty performance in the backcourt, by the net, and with dead-eye accuracy on serves, the Pirates set the tone for the rest of the night. In that second game, River rocked the visiting Demons -- a team that had beaten them 3-2 in Westlake on Sept. 15 -- with seven aces. A scrambling Pirate defense registered 24 digs against just seven errors. And Slammin' Sammy Young had 11 kills while hitting .500.
Westlake (14-5, 7-2) rebounded and sent the third set into extra digits for a second time on the evening. Young filed 10 kills against just two errors in a 27-25 River win. And the Pirates exhibited some toughness and stamina by finishing off the Demons in a 25-12 fourth. In that final game, Rocky River hit .370 and had 16 digs against just three miscues.
For the match, Rocky River logged an attack percentage of .218. The Pirates had eight blocks, their most in a contest since Sept. 15. Their 17 aces marked the most in a Rocky River match since Oct. 19 last season (19 vs. St. Martin de Porres).
Young registered a by-the-game kill count of 7-11-10-8--36. That total of 36 eclipsed the previous program record of 32 co-owned by Maureen Kessler (2008) and Young herself (Oct. 13, 2020, in a five-set match against Buckeye). The 36 kills were accompanied by just four errors, and Young hit .516 for the match. She also had 11 digs and three aces. Young logged 30 kills in a match earlier this season (Sept. 27 vs. Bay) and has swatted her way to 25-plus now five times in her career.
With Tuesday's victory over Westlake, that career has a shot of including a GLC West title in season No. 3. Heading into the final league match of the season -- for RRHS, that will be at Elyria Catholic on Thursday -- River, Westlake, and Bay are all knotted at 7-2 in circuit play. The Pirates hold the edge in a tiebreaker that includes head-to-head records and set scores therein.
"I'm so proud of these girls," said coach Brittany Morris, whose squad is now 7-0 on its home hardwood. "We talked about just having fun and staying aggressive, and that's exactly what they did."
As for the fans, we didn't need to talk about it. We're just having fun.
CANNON FIRE ...
FROM THE BUCS SCORE: Maggie Pfahl (27 digs) and Kylie Spies (12 digs against just two errors) paced the Buccaneer back line Tuesday. Spies (four aces) and Pfahl (three) also combined for seven aces; Spies had a team-high 28 assists. Madie Shoaf logged eight kills while hitting a robust .315. Shoaf also had two total blocks. Ella Brokaw filed nine kills, six service aces, and five total blocks. ... Sophia Goldberg (four blocks) and Haddie Holton (three kills, four digs, block) also turned in solid efforts at the net.
WESTSIDE STORY: Rocky River's win snapped an eight-match losing streak against Westlake. The Pirates had not defeated the Demons since Aug. 22, 2015. ... RRHS and WHS have met 16 times since 2008; the Pirates are 7-9 over that stretch.
ON DECK: Rocky River will travel to Elyria Thursday to take on the Elyria Catholic Panthers. A win would give River a season sweep: the Pirates caged the Panthers 3-0 (25-13,25-17,25-17) at Rocky River Gymnasium Sept. 20.
by Skip Snow
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