Players slid like penguins for tips and ran like olympians to recover shanks. The effort was undeniable in the plethora of back-and-forth rallies during the deciding set for the match. After a seemingly never-ending rally, Westfield’s Catie Carayannopoulos slammed down a kill, ending the play and momentarily silencing Montville.
The thrilling matchup between the Blue Devils and the Mustangs went a full three sets, each coming down to the wire in a nail-biting contest. Despite the standout moments from the Blue Devils, the Mustangs ultimately came out on top: the first set ending in favor of Montville, 27-25, Westfield firing back with a 25-22 win in the second set, and Montville securing their 2-1 win in the third set (25-23).
On Monday, Westfield finished their regular season with a game against Montville High School. Montville started the game with a commanding five point lead, but despite the slow start, Westfield continued to fight with junior Ava Gaspard’s tough serves, bringing energy and closing the gap to 9-12.
Westfield kept the pace up, forcing Montville to take two timeouts in the first set. Despite their energy, the Blue Devils lost 27-25. “It’s all about ‘next-play’ mentality,” said senior captain Carayannopoulos, “you have to shake it off.”
Again, starting behind in the second set, Westfield was able to come back with the help of junior Vicki Morey’s serving run, including an ace and putting the score at 5-6. It was a constant push and pull, but consistent miscommunications would be the Blue Devils’ “downfall,” according to Carayannopoulos.
Junior Audrey Hu said, “When we were communicating, we were playing really well.” But during moments of “silence,” Montville was able to take advantage of Westfield’s unforced errors and have “a few big runs.”
The Blue Devils managed a tight win in the second set, with a dominant performance by Carayannopoulos and Gaspard at the net, with Hu and junior Audrey Stack on defense. Going into the third set, communication was the name of the game.
The stakes were high but the girls pushed through with the help of Hu, who never failed to dive for a ball. “I know that if I make a good play, it will create momentum,” said Hu. She credited her teammates, “[they] will have my back if I have a good dig, and they’ll be there for the second touch.” Hu tallied 13 digs throughout the match, picking up the powerful spikes from Mustang No. 20, Cassandra Chauhan.
Continuing the trend of trading the lead between the two teams, Westfield ended the third set with a painfully close score of 23-25. Reflecting on the game, head coach Beverly Torok took the loss as a much needed lesson. “We have to learn from this game to communicate always, no matter which side the ball is on, we have to be way more energetic and aggressive,” said Torok.
On Thursday, Westfield will play at 4 p.m. in the sectional quarterfinal against Union at home, hoping to pave their way to their consecutive sectional trophy.
