ROCHESTER – The Lady Raiders won two matches in pod play at Monroe CC on Saturday, but they were narrowly defeated in their match with the host team.
Photo: Katlyn Pierce goes high to block a shot in the Finger Lakes match
Monroe
FM's first match of the day was their long-awaited contest with Monroe's Lady Tribunes. Monroe has been ranked #1 in for several weeks in the weekly regional coaches' poll, and FM has been ranked #3 for the past two weeks. The match lived up to its billing.
Monroe used effective blocking to take an early lead in the first set, but the Raiders stayed close and kept attacking. Soon the set was tied 8-8. A Whitney Ostrander kill tied it again at 11-11, and a kill by Karissa Morey tied it again at 12-12. Another Morey kill put FM ahead 16-15, but the Lady Tribunes pulled ahead and won the set 25-20.
FM came back in the second set and played like winners. Katlyn Pierce and Zara Hyde went up together to block for a point, and FM led 17-14. Kaylee Gillen made some great digs, two of which were spectacular. Ostrander was outstanding. One of her blocks made it 23-19. FM won the set 25-22.
Monroe won the third set, but again the Lady Raiders roared back. FM led 14-8. They increased their lead to seven points at 18-11. A sweet dink shot by Hyde made the score 21-17. A block by Pierce put FM within a point of victory at 24-19. Monroe kept attacking, but FM took the set 25-23.
After four hard-fought sets, after nearly 200 points had been scored, the match was dead even. However, Monroe got off to a fast start in the fifth set, spurred on by the large and loud home crowd. The Tribunes took the finale 15-6, keeping their match record perfect at 20-0. At the end of the day that record was 22-0.
Finger Lakes brought a respect-worthy record of 12-11 into the match, and they played with a lot of enthusiasm. FM, however, had a bit of a letdown after their grueling and disappointing loss to Monroe. Still, the Raiders moved out to an 8-2 lead in the first set.
Kaylee Robinson's kill made it 9-2. Ostrander scored three points in a row with a block and two kills. 14-5 FM. An ace by Elizabeth Hayward closed out the set at 25-14.
FM was in full control as the second set began. The Lady Raiders led 19-11, but then they took their foot off the pedal. Some poor play by the FM Six let the Lakers make a comeback that they will never forget. After trailing by eight points, Finger Lakes charged back and won the set 26-24. FM Head Coach Rachael Salvione then addressed the squad in appropriately firm terms.
The Lakers kept things close in the third set. An Ostrander kill put FM ahead 11-9. Finally FM pulled away. A Pierce kill put FM up 24-14. The final score was 25-16.
FM led 15-6 in the final set, but the Lakers never quit. They closed the score to 20-19 before Morey's kill and ace, and Pierce's two kills ended the affair at 25-20.
Photo: Whitney Ostrander sends a shot into the Monroe zone – the other FM players, from left, are Kaylee Gillen, Kaylee Robinson, Karissa Morey, and Zara Hyde
Corning
FM's final match was with the Lady Red Barons of Corning CC. The Barons entered the match with a season record of 12-8.
The Raiders sharpened their game a bit in the final match. They won the sets 25-18, 25-12, and 25-14. FM's final points were scored with a Hayward kill and an Ostrander block.
Assessing the Day
The Raiders showed that they have the ability to play head to head with any team in the region. They also showed that they are susceptible to lapses, but when their play their usual game they are a very good team. Their season record stands at 13-2.
Coach Salvione had praise for the squad, noting that Liz Hayward served the ball 34 times without an error. Error-free serving is unusual and deserves a tip of the hat.
Salvione added, "The girls played strong today. Going five (sets) with Monroe was what we expected. We didn't keep the momentum on our side in the fifth set, and we made more errors than Monroe. That was the only reason we didn't come out on top. We know we are able to play with the best teams in our region. We know we can win. We are going to remain focused for the remainder of our season and look forward to regionals."
C.J. Bonny, website writer
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