2016 Stories of the Year

2. 'Bolts sweep Spartans for first title, undefeated season

Posted 1/11/17

It was a solid year for Cranston volleyball, and West didn't hold a monopoly. The Cranston East girls' volleyball squad also registered an undefeated season of its own, capping it off with a sweep of Scituate in the title round at Rhode Island College in

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2016 Stories of the Year

2. 'Bolts sweep Spartans for first title, undefeated season

Posted

It was a solid year for Cranston volleyball, and West didn’t hold a monopoly.

The Cranston East girls’ volleyball squad also registered an undefeated season of its own, capping it off with a sweep of Scituate in the title round at Rhode Island College in November.

After receiving an opening-round bye, East started with the No. 5 seed out of its own subdivision, Tolman. The Tigers hit the ’Bolts early, claiming the first set easily and putting East on its heels.

After that, the ’Bolts never dropped another set again. They took care of Tolman in four sets before shutting down Juanita Sanchez during the semifinals. That victory scheduled a third meeting between East and Scituate, and it would end much like the first two.

“There’s no way we were going to go undefeated and not win this game [against Scituate],” senior Samantha Levy said following the championship. “We knew from the beginning.”

East coasted to a 25-13 victory in the first set behind senior Amanda Hay’s traditionally devastating serves and strong work at the net by junior Chelsea Asare and senior McKenzie Richards.

Hay came to put out the fire again during the second set. The Spartans battled back to tie the score at 11, but picked up a couple kills to extend the lead out to 15-11. Down the stretch, she recorded four consecutive aces that put the comeback out of reach.

The ’Bolts used a 15-5 spurt during the third and final set to put Scituate away for good. The Spartans clung to a 14-9 lead, looking to stall the celebration a bit longer, but East’s veteran crew came through.

“I think it’s a huge advantage,” East head coach Meaghan McGonagle said of her team’s experience, which includes six seniors to Scituate’s two. “We didn’t make it to the big stage last year, but two years ago we made it to URI, and we had quite a few girls on that team, or at least the JV girls, to see that. We talked about how the size of the court really plays a game, the crowd, you’re not going to be able to hear each other. Having some older girls really helped us out in the long run.”

Richards, Hay and senior Victoria Bowry took over the game, with the help of a few Scituate mistakes. Before the Spartans could get their bearings, East retook the lead, 19-16, and wouldn’t relinquish it.

Scituate failed to return a Hay blast at the net, and the ’Bolts flooded the court in jubilation.

East had its close, five-set matches throughout the season, but it saved its best volleyball for the playoffs. One of the most sensational postseason runs of the year, and coincidentally one of its best stories, too.

- J.M.

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