LEAVITTSBURG—Kirtland’s volleyball opened the 2015 Division III Leavittsburg District Tournament with a decisive win over Conneaut at LaBrae High School on Monday.
The fifth-seeded Hornets cruised to a 25-16, 25-15, 25-16 win over the Spartans and will play third-seeded Grand Valley on Wednesday.
“I thought the girls, after a little bit of an adrenaline rush at the begging, I thought they came out and played exceptionally well,” said Kirtland coach Bob Schenosky. “I thought we hit well and blocked well. The back row played well. All-around the girls played very efficient.”
Julia Ricketti led the Hornets with eight kills and also recorded a pair of aces. Taylor Frazee added six kills.
“Julia moved the ball around,” Schenosky said. “She was hitting angles, she was hitting line. She had a couple of dumps. Taylor made a couple of very athletic plays on the outside. I thought as a group we hit well.”
Olivia Mancisio recorded seven kills, two aces and three blocks and Sam Bailey had six kills, two aces and three blocks.
“I thought our middles played dominant volleyball in the middle, “Schenosky said. “Whether it was the kills or the blocks, I thought they made a real statement with some of the blocks early on. Our outside hitters did a great job too.”
Kirtland’s defense also rose to the challenge of the win or go home playoff format. The Hornets were all over the court making plays to keep balls alive.
“Their hustle was exceptional tonight,” Schenosky said. “They came in with a terrific attitude. Everybody came to play. The seniors all know what this means to them. I’ve had them since seventh grade so they’re definitely committed to get as far as we possibly can.”
The Hornets improved to 14-9 on the year.
