MILFORD – It was the most important problem both unbeaten workforce had confronted this season, and whereas Milford got here out emotionally charged in entrance of a raucous dwelling crowd Tuesday afternoon to push nonleague foe St. John’s Prep to the brink, it was the No. 14 Eagles that walked away nonetheless undefeated.
But simply barely.
By limiting its errors in a decisive fifth set behind a sensational efficiency from setter Dan Schorr (39 assists, 4 blocks, three aces, two kills), St. John’s Prep (8-0) pieced collectively simply sufficient in overcoming a Hawks (6-1) rally for a 3-2 win (17-25, 25-16, 25-19, 22-25, 15-13). Matt Ciampa delivered two of his 10 kills – in addition to a block – in a back-and-forth ultimate set as the 2 groups clawed towards the end line, complementing simply 4 errors within the body and Callum Brown’s team-high 15 kills.
Considering that St. John’s Prep confirmed the polar reverse aspect of composure within the opening set as Milford got here out firing on all cylinders, it was a formidable feat for the Eagles to show it round the remainder of the best way and safe its most signature win of the season.
“Those guys just haven’t seen this kind of intensity, this kind of pace, this kind of energy in the gym, so it caught them by surprise a little,” stated Eagles head coach Kara Brown. “But once they were able to settle in, this is what we do. … Sometimes we worry that – especially in that first (set) – that we sort of roll over and be like, ‘Yeah, we’re out of it.’ I think the biggest thing we saw as coaches was our ability to fight and stay in it, even when we were down.”
The matchup primarily got here down to 2 factors, and the best way the complete day unfolded gave the sense that it could.
After Milford exploded within the first set as setter Valdir Aragoso (49 assists) efficiently unfold the wealth, St. John’s Prep used its presence on the web to largely restrict the Hawks from any large runs over the following two frames. Brown, Ciampa and Colby LaGrassa (9 kills) feasted round Schorr, serving to the Eagles safe a 25-16 second set for Milford’s first set loss this season. Then got here a 25-19 third set for a 2-1 lead.
That’s when Jack Callahan erupted for seven of his game-high 18 kills within the fourth set, awakening a hushed crowd to rally round an emotional response from the Hawks. Alex Guerra (14 kills) and Chris Tocci (11 kills) have been additionally pivotal within the body, pushing the matchup to a fifth set by profitable the fourth, 25-22.
Neither workforce led the ultimate set by greater than two factors at any time, with every group responding to each kill or block with certainly one of its personal. A Milford hitting error tied the rating at 13-13, earlier than a Schorr ace and a ultimate play on the web secured the win.
With how shut the sport boiled down, Hawks head coach Andrew Mainini was happy with how his group performed in opposition to a signature foe.
“I saw a lot of good things, I think we played really good volleyball,” he stated. “We want to be leaving 150-percent effort out on the court at all times. … When we did, we won. That first set, the fourth set, and in the fifth set – I’m not concerned about the two points. We left it all out there.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com