SLAMMING: Senior Kasey Mercier (above) ran off 12 consecutive service points in the third game as MDS pulled away.
by Brandon Hopp
bhopp@digitalsports.com
(See videos and photos above)
Mount de Sales varsity volleyball coach Kenny Mills had a specific game plan going into the matchup against visiting eighth-ranked Catonsville on Monday but after the Comets won the first game 25-22, Mills changed things around in an effort to get his team on track.
"Our serve-receive and the defense really helped out because I ended up switching my liberos," said Sailors head coach Kenny Mills. "I have two great defensive specialists who can play both libero or DS and I decided to switch them and that was a huge factor."
Elissa Boffen started at libero and switched places on the right side with Sam Shetterly and coach Mills believed that change was crucial in the win.
"Elissa was having a little trouble at first so I thought it was a good decision to switch things up which also changed some of our serving options," said Mills. "It allowed Natalie Vidmar to serve and with that decision it really allowed for us to have a stronger system to run."
It worked as the No. 3 Sailors, behind a strong service game from senior Kasey Mercier, play at the net by junior Katy Buck and sophomore Hannah Schmidt and a defensive Shetterly, won three straights games to capture the victory 22-25, 25-15, 25-14, 25-18.
Catonsville jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first game after senior Katie Bennett served three straight points including an ace. The Comets, behind Bennett, senior Emily Tyson and sophomore Casey Giovanazzi, led 17-10 and held on to win the first game.
After that point, Mount de Sales used a total team effort to turn around the game. Mercier had 10 kills and four aces while Buck had 23 kills in the match and was all over the court making plays. The two stepped up big time in the pivitol third game where the Sailors seperated themselves.
Catonsville dropped the second game 25-15 but came out attacking in the third. The Comets were ahead 9-7 early but Mercier went to the service line and changed the game.
The 5-foot-10 inch Mercier served 12 straight points including two aces and Buck accounted for five kills in that run. When it was all said and done, the Sailors took a 20-9 lead and finished off the game behind Buck's kill at the net and her subsequent service ace to go up two games to one.
"I was just in the zone, I felt it...," said Mercier of her serving in the third game. "I was trying to hit spots and I saw that kept adjusting, so I would try to go deep, then I try to go short...I was just trying to be smart about it.
Mount de Sales never looked back and after the Comets fought to within 19-18 in the fourth game, the Sailors rolled off the next six points, capped by Buck's final kill and celebrated their hard fought victory. Senior setter Kelsey McGraw had 40 assists in the match and senior hitter Natalie Vidmar had 13 service points in the second and fourth games for MDS.
"It was exciting to play Catonsville," said Mills. "We really brought things together when we needed to."
"This game really helps us out because we haven't been challanged since the St. Paul's match," said Mills. "I really like for my team to be challanged...playing Catonsville gave us a pretty good challanged and I think that is crucial in making sure that we're maintaining that level of play."
The Sailors improve to 7-1 overall on the season while the Comets dropped it's first game and stand at 6-1.