CAPE COD TIMES
Newton North denies Barnstable in semifinals
By Russ Charpentier
rcharpentier@capecodonline.com
Posted Nov. 13, 2014 @ 2:00 am -
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Photos by Cape Cod Times, Ron Schloerb
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BRIDGEWATER – Get ready for a new title holder. The champions have finally been beaten.
South champion Barnstable’s four-year Division 1 girls volleyball state title reign and its quest for a 17th state crown came to an end Wednesday night in the state semifinals, as the Red Raiders fell to Newton North, 3-1, at Bridgewater-Raynham High School.
The Red Raiders had won 10 of the last 11 state titles, but Central/East champ Newton North took their measure in the two-hour match by scores of 25-17, 17-25, 25-21, 25-19.
This will be the first time since the early 1990s that Barnstable, New Bedford or North Quincy will not be Division 1 state champion.
Barnstable beat Newton North in the state final last year and revenge must have tasted sweet.
It’s the second time this season Newton North has beaten Barnstable, having also won a 3-1 decision in the regular season, but Barnstable was missing big hitter Madison Sollows in that one.
However, even her presence Wednesday couldn’t reverse the earlier outcome.
With the match even at 1-1, Barnstable took a 21-18 lead in game three, but the Tigers scored the final seven points for the win.
In the fourth game, the Tigers jumped up 10-1 before Barnstable dug deep and showed what has made them champions over the years before finally succumbing.
The Red Raiders closed to within 12-10 and got as close as 20-16 late, but couldn’t sustain the rally.
“In the third game, it was 21-19 and we had three unforced errors in a row,” Barnstable coach Tom Turco said. “Then they got the momentum. That’s been a problem all year long.”
But Turco wasn’t going to dwell on the negatives on a team that reached the state semifinals.
“I’m proud of the girls to get this far, win the south again after losing the amount of seniors we did,” Turco said. “I thought they did a tremendous job. I couldn’t say that during the season, but it’s a fact.”
Barnstable had trouble with Newton North’s strong front line, which effectively blocked the Red Raiders much of the night.
“They had a good block going,” Turco said. “They played hard, they deserved to win. They made more plays than us.”
Senior outside hitter Bali Connors led the way for the Tigers with 11 kills and 29 digs in a phenomenal effort.
Six-foot senior Tess Simmons (4 blocks, 6 kills, 2 aces, 22 assists) and 5-11 senior Madeleine Lundberg (9 kills, 4 blocks, 16 assists, 3 aces) as well as 5-9 junior Naarah Cox kept Barnstable from making any inroads at the net.
“We weren’t effective in the middle,” Turco said. “We moved Madison (Sollows) to the outside and we picked up some. It was a little too late.”
Newton North coach Richard Barton had plenty of praise for both teams.
“The game was tremendous,” he said. “It was really strong, state level volleyball. It was so exciting. You’d rather win like that.
“The beginning of the fourth game we were up 10-1 and we were playing fine, but then Barnstable fought to make it exciting down to the wire,” said Barton. “The final plays were a kill, a block, a really tremendous ace landing on the back, like it was floating down from the ceiling. It was really good volleyball.
“It was eminently satisfying to come to a big game against a good opponent and play well,” he said.
Emma Glover led Barnstable with 13 kills, while Sollows had 10 and Michaela Cornwall six. Glover, one of four senior captains on the team, also had 29 digs while fellow captains Nicole Derosier had 26, Olivia Brodt 17 and Picabo Miskiv 12.Brodt also had 29 assists.
“I’m proud of my seniors,” Turco said. “They hung in there in to the end.”
Barnstable did not play well in the opening game, but managed to get within 23-17 before falling. For much of the game, the Raiders looked like Barnstable tournament opponents usually look, hesitant and making unforced errors.
That all turned around in game two as Barnstable jumped out 4-0 behind three service points from sophomore Abbie Hatch. They went up 18-12 on a Sollows kill, but Newton North pulled within 18-16.
A Sollows tip made it 19-16, then Miskiv served five straight winning points for a 24-16 advantage. A Glover kill ended the game, 25-17.
Then came the pivotal third game, when Barnstable recovered from an early deficit to go up 21-18, only to see their dreams collapse.
THE BARNSTABLE PATRIOT
Raiders Win South Title
Written by Ted Pappas and Kathleen Szmit
November 14, 2014
www.barnstablepatriot.com
Olivia Brodt (3), Nicole Derosier (14) and Emma Glover (10) show off the Barnstable girls volleyball team’s 20th MIAA Div. 1 South Championship trophy after a big win Nov. 8 against Bishop Feehan.
Ted Pappas Photos
Barnstable Patriot -- View Article and Photo Online
Barnstable girls volleyball head coach Tom Turco’s record of sustained excellence continued Saturday night in Bridgewater when the 2014 Red Raiders captured their 20th South Sectional crown.
The win sent them to the state semifinals Wednesday night against Newton North. Unfortunately for the Red Raiders, another run at the State Championship was denied when the Tigers defeated the Raiders 3-1. Barnstable defeated Newton North last year for the state crown, and fell to the Tigers earlier this season 3-1.
The tone for a back-and-forth tilt with Bishop Feehan in the South Sectional final was set early, as both teams traded service advantages, splitting the first two sets 25-18 (Barnstable) and 25-23 (Bishop Feehan).
At the midway point of the third game, the Raiders found themselves down 13-19 and face-to-face with a 2-1 game deficit.
Turco noted how difficult it is to rally from that standpoint, and cited the importance of the girls “keeping their composure.”
“Seven of the 14 players on the roster have been here before,” Turco said of tournament play. “So I gave them some time in the three-minute break in between sets to talk by themselves.”
Turco said he trusted that the team’s seniors would get the message across to the younger players, which must have worked, as Barnstable rallied back to win the set 25-22, with Olivia Brodt and Madison Sollows teaming up for several key points.
“I guess what kept them determined was the trust they had in their teammates and their abilities,” Turco said. “Volleyball is a game of momentum and we gained that at the end of set two.”
Bishop Feehan, however, refused to wilt, and continued to battle the Red Raiders point-for-point in the fourth frame, led by Lauren Manis’ 18 blocks.
The Barnstable girls, though, were able to capitalize on their third set energy and use the combined front-line play of Sollows, Michaela Cornwall and Megan Dombrowski to survive the pesky Shamrocks and clinch the match with a 25-22 fourth-set victory.
Raider setter and senior co-captain Brodt finished with 47 assists, while Sollows had 15 kills and Cornwall and Dombrowski each had 11.
According to Turco, senior leadership was instrumental in the win.
“In every program the senior leadership is very important,” he said. “The team should be able to lean on its seniors, and all younger players are looking up to them. Nicole Derosier, Olivia Brodt, Picabo Miskiv and Emma Glover all lead in different ways. The common denominator is that they lead in positive ways and back it up with their actions.”
Turco added that the team as a whole is unique because of what they bring to the game of volleyball.
“This team is made up of players who have a lot of heart and determination,” he said. “They embraced the tough schedule that we made up for them, and understood that even though a lot of matches were against Top 10 teams, the purpose was to prepare them for the tournament.”
This season did prove challenging for the Red Raiders, who were not undefeated as in season’s past, but that didn’t prevent them from securing another South title, something that makes their 27-year head coach proud.
“Winning the South was a testament to the will of the players,” Turco said. “We have augmented our lineup several times and the players accepted that it was for the better of the team. They set their goals really high this year and have relentlessly pursued those goals. Winning the South was really important because it got us through the third step of a five-step process. I am very proud of them.”
CAPE COD TIMES
Another South Title for Barnstable
By Geoff Converse
gconverse@capecodonline.com
Posted Nov. 9, 2014 @ 2:00 am
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Defending state volleyball champion Barnstable topped No. 1 seed Bishop Feehan, 3-1, Saturday night to capture the Division 1 South Sectional championship at Bridgewater-Raynham High School.
BRIDGEWATER - Showing great intestinal fortitude, twice coming back from sizeable deficits, defending state volleyball champion Barnstable topped No. 1 seed Bishop Feehan, 3-1, Saturday night to capture the Division 1 South Sectional championship at Bridgewater-Raynham High School.
Barnstable won 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-22. The Raiders now advance to the state semifinals Wednesday night against Newton North back at Bridgewater-Raynham High School.
It is a rare year when the Red Raiders are not the No. 1 seed, much less the third seed, but that had no bearing on Barnstable again winning the South crown while chasing its fifth straight state title.
Barnstable, now 18-4 overall, was on fire from the start of the opening game, jumping on the Shamrocks for four quick points off the serve of Emma Glover.
However, Feehan showed it was worthy of the top seeding and responded. The Shamrocks (17-4) eventually tied things at 10-10 before the Raiders seized the lead for good with a pair of four-point runs sandwiched around one Feehan point off a Barnstable miscue.
After that the Red Raiders ran off seven of the next 10 points to take the opening game.
Barnstable had a hiccup in the second game with Feehan dictating the tempo. Leading the way for the Shamrocks was 6-foot-1 junior Lauren Manis, who was immense along the front line. She had 18 blocks on the night and was a big reason Barnstable struggled on their set plays.
The Raiders gained a 2-1 advantage by taking the third game with a come-from-behind 25-22 win. Barnstable outscored Feehan 12-4 to finish the game and take command of the match.
“These kids never gave up,” said Barnstable head coach Tom Turco, whose teams have captured 20 South sectional titles. “I think the fact that we’ve been here before payed off tonight. We’ve been down before and we’ve come back. It was a hard-fought match where we just kept battling.”
Barnstable was led by Madison Sollows’ 15 kills, while Glover added 12 and Michaela Cornwall and Megan Dombrowski each chipped in with 11.
At one point it looked like Cornwall would not return after hitting her head on the floor diving to keep a ball alive during the third game. She sat out the remainder of the game. However, she returned in the fourth and started the Raiders with a pair of kills to begin the deciding contest.
“She was on fire after she hit her head,” Turco said. “It’s like it started her engine.”
Olivia Brodt had a monster match for the champions, setting up her teammates with 47 assists.
“When the setter had it going, there wasn’t much we could do to stop them,” said Feehan coach Joe Reardon. “We knew coming in as the No. 1 seed that we had a bulls-eye on our back as far as Barnstable was concerned, and they played like it tonight.”
CAPE COD TIMES
Red Raiders Back in South Final
No. 3 Barnstable defeated the No. 2 Whalers 3-1 in the Div. 1 South semifinals on Thursday night
By LAURIE LOS
NEW BEDFORD STANDARD TIMES (Posted 11/6/2014)
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NEW BEDFORD - Barnstable’s hitters picked apart New Bedford’s defense with timely tips and rallied for a 3-1 victory over the Whalers in the Div. 1 South semifinals on Thursday night.
The four-time defending champion and third-seeded Red Raiders (17-4) advance to the Div. 1 South final to face top-seeded Bishop Feehan at Bridgewater-Raynham High School on Saturday night at 8 p.m. The Shamrocks (17-3) defeated Brockton 3-1 in last night’s other semifinal.
The No. 2 Whalers (16-4) emerged with a 25-23 victory in a first set that included 12 ties, but had no answer for the Red Raiders’ placement of tips down the stretch of the second and third sets.
Barnstable was leading game two 21-16 but New Bedford rallied to tie the game at 23. But Glover won the next point with a kill and then closed it out with an ace.
The Red Raiders won the next two games, 25-14, 25-15 to beat New Bedford for the fifth straight year in the playoffs.
Olivia Brodt had 30 assists, 10 digs and three kills for Barnstable while Emma Glover had 18 kills, 22 digs and two aces. Picabo Miskiv had 15 digs for Barnstable while Michaela Cornwall had seven kills and Megan Dombrowski added five (including the match clincher).
The Red Raiders got a big lift from Madison Sollows (11 kills), who returned to the lineup after being sidelined with an injury the last eight games.
“We kind of had them the first two games,” said New Bedford head coach Neil Macedo, whose team finished the year 16-4. “I thought we were going to keep it going. Those tips just killed us. They absolutely killed us.
“That was probably the worst part of our game because you (can’t) give a team like that easy points. They certainly didn’t need easy points.”
Glover and Sollows both made New Bedford’s defense pay for being out of position in the backcourt with several heads-up tips.
“We started tipping a little bit and catching them off guard,” said Barnstable head coach Tom Turco. “We tried to bring their defense in and then we tried to get to the corners after that.”
Missed serves and unforced errors also cost the Whalers down the stretch as Barnstable went on a 6-0 run in the third set and a 12-3 run in the fourth set.
“I just think they played better defense than we did and they didn’t make as many mental errors as we did,” said Macedo, noting that the Whalers had 19 passing errors. “We had a lot of errors. We had quite a few mental errors, but they played hard so I can’t complain.”
Senior Caitlyn Medeiros recorded seven of her 12 kills in the first set and put the Whalers in position to win the second when her kill tied the game at 23, but Glover responded for the Red Raiders with the kill and service ace to pull out the win.
“I thought Emma Glover stepped up today,” Turco said. “She’s peaking at the right time. She’s hitting the ball consistency.”
The Whalers looked out of sync in the third and fourth sets.
“To win the first one and have a chance to win that second one, we would have had more momentum going into that third one,” Macedo said. “It’s always about momentum in volleyball and unfortunately it didn’t carry over to that third one.”
NOTES: The last time Barnstable played at New Bedford High was in 2009, when the Whalers won 25-15, 25-9, 25-15 in the South semifinals on their way to the state championship. “To them, this is their very first time in this school so they’re like ‘It’s a pretty high ceiling and they’ve got nice speakers coach,’” said Turco of his players’ reaction to their visit to New Bedford. … Sollows saw her first action in eight games after sitting out four weeks with an ankle injury. “ It was good to get her back out on the floor,” Turco said.
The Barnstable Patriot
www.barnstablepatriot.com, November 7, 2014
Barnstable cruises to semis
Written by Kathleen Szmit
TIPPING IT OVER – Barnstable’s Jen Peacock (17) tips in a point for the Red Raiders during tournament play Monday at BHS.
Volleyball downs Oliver Ames in tourney
Oliver Ames might have shown a little spunk in the second of its three games against Barnstable this week, but it was the Red Raiders that prevailed in the quarterfinals, defeating Oliver Ames 3-0.
With Emma Glover leading the way in kills with 15, the Red Raiders played to a 25-7 first set, a 25-14 second set, and a commanding 25-9 final set in the win to advance to the semifinals, set to take place at press time yesterday.
Barnstable peeled off six points in the first match before Oliver Ames even got on the scoreboard, handily setting the tone for the evening. While the second game started with the teams trading points to make it interesting, the Raiders ultimately pulled ahead for the win before sealing their victory in the final match.
Along with Glover’s kills, Megan Dombrowski added seven, Michaela Cornwall five, Jen Peacock, Dani Derosier and Ashley McCarthy two each, and Olivia Brodt and Bridget Murphy one apiece.
Derosier had four services aces and 12 digs, while Picabo Miskiv added seven digs and Brodt continued her reign with 29 assists.
At press time the Raiders were set to play New Bedford at New Bedford for the chance to advance to the MIAA Div. 1 finals.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, November 4, 2014
Red Raiders begin title defense on a positive note
Barnstable's Emma Glover, shown here earlier this season, had 13 kills in Monday's 3-0 tournament win over Oliver Ames.
Photo by
Cape Cod Times/Ron Schloerb
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HYANNIS — Just because the Barnstable Red Raiders volleyball team enters this postseason with four losses doesn't mean it's going to be any easier to dethrone the four-time state champions.
The third-seeded Red Raiders scored the first six points of the match and went on to sweep No. 6 Oliver Ames in just over an hour Monday night, winning 25-7, 25-14, 25-9 in the Div. 1 South sectional quarterfinals.
Emma Glover and Megan Dombrowski each had 13 kills for Barnstable (16-4), which advance to the South sectional to face the winner of tonight's Braintree and New Bedford contest. A Braintree win would mean another home match for the Red Raiders on Thursday while a New Bedford victory would mean a trip to the Whaling City.
Barnstable defeated New Bedford in last year's Div. 1 South final and suffered its last tournament loss at the hands of the Whalers in 2009.
Barnstable established control of the match early on from the service line. Picabo Miskiv won six straight points on serve, four of which the Tigers failed to return. In the third game, fellow senior Nicole Derosier reeled off 12 in a row from the line to open up a 15-2 lead for Barnstable and essentially finish off the visitors.
"They played well and took care of things on their side of the net," said Barnstable coach Tom Turco of his club. "The defense was good and our serving kept them out of system."
After the Red Raiders cruised to an opening-game win, the middle game went back-and-forth with neither team leading by more than one point until the midway mark. Tied at 11, Barnstable went on a 8-1 run, keyed by a pair of serves by Derosier and two kills each by Glover and Jen Peacock then closed it out on Michaela Cornwall's serve.
Oliver Ames had no answer for Derosier's serving in game three and the ones that they got back over the net were quickly turned into points by the Red Raiders' offense.
"The whole thing is, 'How you're going to do this year in the tournament'," Turco said of the question about this team's chances of raising a 17th banner. "If we keep our unforced errors down I think we'll be OK. Our defense is good and we dig a lot of balls out."
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, October 29, 2014
Volleyball pairings: Barnstable and D-Y each earn three seed
Dennis-Yarmouth (13-1) also earned a third seed, in the Division 2 South sectionals, and will also get a bye to the quarterfinals. The Dolphins had an overall record of 13-5 but four of their five losses were against Div. 1 teams. D-Y was defeated twice in the regular season by both Barnstable and New Bedford.
Sandwich (12-5) and Falmouth (8-8) round out the Div. 2 South qualifiers among Cape schools. The Blue Knights are the fifth seed and will host No. 12 Pembroke in a first-round match while the 11th-seeded Clippers will travel to No. 6 Dartmouth. The winner of the Falmouth-Dartmouth contest will face D-Y in the Div. 2 South quarterfinals.
Defending Div. 2 state champion Notre Dame (Hingham) is the top seed at 18-0. The Cougars completed their undefeated regular season with a 25-13, 25-18, 25-16 win over Sandwich on Monday night in Hingham. Abigail Bates spread the Blue Knights offense around with 15 assists while Carly Hokanson led the defense with 10 kills.
The lone representative in the Division 3 South sectional is Sturgis East (12-4), which is seeded No. 5. The Storm will host 12th-seeded Bishop Connolly in a first-round contest at a date and time to be determined.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, October 28, 2014
Duxbury 3, Barnstable 1
It has been a long time since the Red Raiders were not the top seed in the MIAA Division 1 South Sectional Volleyball Tournament, but following their loss to the Dragons in the regular-season finale, the best they can hope for this year is the No. 3 spot.
Duxbury (18-1) rebounded from a first-game loss (25-14) to Barnstable (15-4) to take the next three games and the match, 25-14, 25-23, 25-21.
Playing well in defeat for the Raiders were Emma Glover (12 kills and a team-high 23 digs), Michaela Cornwall (10 kills), Megan Dombroski (eight kills), Nicole Derosier (10 digs) and Olivia Brodt (33 assists).
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, October 25, 2014
Barnstable 3, North Quincy 0
What used to be a major confrontation between volleyball powers has turned into a one-sided affair more recently and Friday night was no exception as Barnstable thumped North Quincy, 3-0,
The host Raiders (15-3) rolled to victory, 25-3, 25-5 and 25-6.
It was a total team effort for Barnstable, which stages its final home game of the regular season Monday when it hosts Duxbury on senior night.
Olivia Brodt had a solid game for Barnstable with 26 assists. Other players making major contributions included Emma Glover with a team-high 11 kills and nine digs. Michaela Cornwall chipped in with nine kills while Meagan Dombrowski and Ashley McCarthy each recorded six kills.
Nicole Derosier with 10 digs for Barnstable, while Picabo Miskiv and Abigail Hatch (six aces) each had 12 service points.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, October 23, 2014
Newton North 3, Barnstable 1
The Tigers took advantage of an unusually error prone Red Raiders squad en route to a 25-19, 25-19, 19-25, 25-21 win in a Div. 1 state final rematch in Newton.
Senior captain Nicole Derosier did all she could on defense for Barnstable (14-3), with 27 digs, while senior captain Olivia Brodt spread the Red Raiders offense with 40 assists, but errors plagued the defending Div. 1 State champions throughout the match.
Junior Michaela Cornwall knocked down 18 kills offensively while classmate Megan Dombrowski added 13.
Barnstable looks to return to their winning ways on Friday as they host North Quincy.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, October 21, 2014
Barnstable 3, Falmouth 0
Barnstable Sweeps Falmouth
HYANNIS — The Barnstable Red Raiders spread their offense around, earning a non-league win over Falmouth with scores of 25-11, 25-11, 25-13 on Monday.
Senior captain Emma Glover led the Red Raiders with seven kills while junior Megan Dombrowski added six kills, classmate Jen Peacock added five kills and junior Michaela Cornwall and sophomore Bridget Murphy added four kills each.
Senior captain Olivia Brodt spread the offense with 21 assists while senior captain Nicole Derosier led the defense with 11 digs.
Sophomore Abbie Hatch went 17-for-17 at the service line for Barnstable (14-2) with six aces while senior Picabo Miskiv added four digs and four aces.
Marianna Moore led Falmouth (7-7) with three kills and three blocks. Sarah Buscher had eight digs and Lexie Axon had 20 service receptions.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, October 18, 2014
Barnstable 3, Westboro 1
Olivia Brodt had 44 assists and 11 digs as the Red Raiders defeated host Westboro in a thrilling four set battle between top-ten ranked teams.
Barnstable improves to 13-2 with the 25-20, 25-23, 26-28, 25-17 victory.
Michaela Cornwall had an excellent all-around performance with 12 kills, 11 digs and two aces for the Red Raiders while Nicole Derosier (20 digs) and Picabo Miskiv (17 digs) led the way defensively.
Emma Glover had 13 kills and 14 digs for Barnstable while Megan Dombrowski had 16 kills and one block. Jen Peacock had 12 digs and four blocks for the winners and Danielle Derosier also had four kills, including the game-winner.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, October 16, 2014
Barnstable 3, Dartmouth 1
The Red Raiders lost the opening set to an upset-minded Indians team, but dished off three straight win to capture their 15th consecutive Old Colony League title in Hyannis.
The Indians stole game one with a 26-24 win but it was all Barnstable from that point on, winning 25-23, 25-19 and 25-18.
Olivia Brodt posted a monster game, tallying 30 assists, 11 digs five kills and three aces. Nicole Derosier recorded a team-high 23 digs.
Michaela Cornwall led the Barnstable (12-2, 4-0 OCL) offense with 13 kills and Megan Dombrowski added another 10.
Emma Glover stood out on both sides of the ball with 17 digs and seven kills and Picabo Miskiv had 13 digs.
In her first career varsity game, Abbie Hatch notched five service points in the fourth and deciding set.
The Red Raiders are in action again on Friday when they take on reigning Div. 2 finalist Westboro on the road.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, October 10, 2014
Notre Dame 3, Barnstable 0
Barnstable Swept by Notre Dame
by Paul Godfrey
Michaela Cornwall of Barnstable blocks a Notre Dame Academy shot.
Photo by
Cape Cod Times/Ron Schloerb
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HYANNIS — Sometimes it takes a champion to beat one. For the second time in just over two weeks that is what Notre Dame (Hingham) Academy has done.
The defending Division 2 champion Cougars defeated the four-time defending Div. 1 state champion Barnstable volleyball team, sweeping them again 3-0, this time at the Red Raiders gym.
NDA improves to 12-0 this season with the 25-23, 25-11, 25-21 victory. Barnstable falls to 11-2, having lost in Hingham, 28-26, 25-19, 25-14 for its other loss this season and first since 2012. The Red Raiders hadn't been swept in a match since 2009.
Madison Sollows had 11 kills for Barnstable while fellow juniors Megan Dombrowski and Michaela Cornwall added eight and seven kills, respectively.
Olivia Brodt had 25 assists for the Red Raiders while Emma Glover had seven kills and Picabo Miskiv added six kills. Miskiv and Derosier each had two aces, with Derosier also having a pair of kills. But from midway through game one, NDA was in attack mode and the game Red Raiders were battling to stay alive.
"We've played Barnstable every year since I've been head coach," said NDA coach Joshua Shepherd. "I've modeled my program off his (coach Tom Turco) success. Every year we come down here it's an absolute bloodbath. Our team was lucky enough to get a couple of swings in momentum our way and ride that wave."
The Cougars were as good as they were lucky. After serving runs by Miskiv and Cornwall staked Barnstable to leads of 11-3 and 14-6, NDA's Julia Marshall took to the line and got the Cougars back in the game. The visitors scored 10 straight points to lead 16-14 and after the Red Raiders regained a 20-18 lead, NDA's Corinne Cox and Marshall took command at the net to pull out the opener.
"You can't have a 14-6 lead and get served off the court," said Turco. "But I give them credit. That's one of the best defensive teams I've seen in a long, long time."
NDA rode the momentum right through the middle game, winning five straight points on Avery Spaziani's serve to take a 9-3 lead and never looking back. The Cougars continued to serve at an exceptional percentage and keep the Red Raiders from establishing their offense.
"We've got to do a better job in a lot of areas," said Turco. "If you can't pass serve and get the ball into system — that's volleyball 101."
While much of that credit goes to NDA, credit also goes to Barnstable with its response in game three. Trailing the back-and-forth game 14-12, the Red Raiders roared to an 18-14 lead on the strength of Cornwall's serving.
But whether it be a block at the net or a dig that resulted in a kill, the Cougars snapped the last deadlock at 20 and closed out the match.
"At this stage of the game — after playing them 14 or 15 times — I'm still like 2-13," said Shepherd. "He's (Turco) still, overwhelmingly, the top dog around here. I'm happy that my team is able to stand in the ranks and compete at a high level."
For the Red Raiders, it's on to VolleyHall Classic in Springfield this weekend, where Barnstable will defend that title in the second year of the 32-team tournament, which features the top teams from across the Northeast.
"People say 'what happened'," said Turco, when anything but a zero appears on the right-hand side of the win-loss column. "We've gone five games with them (in previous years). We put them on the schedule and play these teams for a reason. It's all for the greater good."
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, October 8, 2014
Barnstable 3, Brockton 0
Madison Sollows led the offense with 11 kills as the Red Raiders cruised to a non-league victory in Hyannis.
Barnstable (11-1) won convincingly, taking the match 25-15, 25-8 and 25-13.
Olivia Brodt picked up 25 assists in the win to go along with her four kills. Megan Dombrowski and Michaela Cornwall combined for 15 kills.
Nicole Derosier paced the defense with 10 digs while Emma Glover and Picabo Miskiv each tallied seven and six digs, respectively.
Barnstable will attempt to avenge their lone loss of the season on Thursday when they play host to Notre Dame Academy (11-0).
The Cougars swept Barnstable on September 23rd.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, October 7, 2014
Barnstable 3, Bridgewater-Raynham 0
Defending state champions clinch another tourney berth
BRIDGEWATER — Madison Sollows knocked down 10 kills while Megan Dombrowski added eight kills to lead Barnstable to a 3-0 win over Bridgewater-Raynham on Monday that clinched a tournament berth.
Barnstable (10-1, 3-0 Old Colony), which has claimed the Div. 1 State championship 16 times, has qualified for the MIAA tournament every year since 1989.
Sollows added a pair of blocks while Dombrowski also had a block as Barnstable cruised, 25-15, 25-7, 25-7.
Olivia Brodt spread the defense with 24 assists and 11 service points, including four aces. Michaela Cornwall added six kills and eight service points.
THE BARNSTABLE PATRIOT
www.barnstablepatriot.com
October 3, 2014
Photo by Kathleen Szmit, Barnstable Patriot
IN THE CLUB – Barnstable’s Olivia Brodt (3) recorded her 1,000th career assist for the Red Raiders during their Sept. 26 game against D-Y, which Barnstable won, 3-0. Brodt, who entered the match with 998 assists under her belt, contributed 32 during the games, along with five digs and two blocks. The senior captain has been an instrumental player on the team for several years.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, October 1, 2014
Barnstable 3, Medfield 0
Freshman Caroline Brodt got her first career varsity start, notching five assists while the Red Raiders rolled over Warriors in Medfield.
Barnstable (9-1) took the match with scores of 25-14, 25-16 and 25-13.
Nicole Derosier collected a game-high 18 digs to go along with her 11 service points and two aces while Olivia Brodt had 14 assists and six kills.
Emma Glover picked up 13 digs and 12 service points and Picabo Miskiv had five digs.
The offense was led by Michaela Cornwall's eight kills with Madison Sollows following with seven and Megan Dombrowski's four kills.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, September 27, 2014
Barnstable 3, Dennis-Yarmouth 0
Brodt tops 1000 assist mark in Red Raiders win
Olivia Brodt of Barnstable sets up a shot against Dennis-Yarmouth. Brodt recorded her 1000th career assist in the Red Raiders 3-0 win over D-Y Friday night.
Photo by Ron Schloerb, Cape Cod Times
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Senior setter Olivia Brodt recorded her 1,000th assist to lead the Barnstable Red Raiders volleyball team to a 3-0 victory over Dennis-Yarmouth on Friday in South Yarmouth.
Barnstable handled the Dolphins 25-10, 25-14, 25-18 to improve to 8-1 on the season.
Brodt came into the contest with 998 career assists and had 32 on the evening to go along with her five digs and two blocks.
Madison Sollows had 12 kills for the Red Raiders while Michaela Cornwall had nine kills and Ashley McCarthy recorded five. Nicole Derosier had 15 digs for Barnstable and Jen Peacock and Megan Dombrowski each had four kills.
Dennis-Yarmouth (4-4) got strong play from Olivia Dannewitz, who had two kills, 12 assists and six digs, Laryssa Dumont, with seven digs and eight serve receptions and Sydnie McGee, who provided one of her best defensive games of the season. McGee also had two blocks and a kill in the match.
Freshman Abbey Criser provided the Dolphins with six kills, two blocks, eight digs and an ace while Taylor McDowell had three digs and two aces.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, September 25, 2014
Barnstable 3, Dartmouth 0
The Red Raiders bounced back from a defeat at the hands of Notre Dame of Hingham on Tuesday with a convincing victory over Old Colony League foe Indians in Dartmouth.
The Raiders swept Dartmouth with scores of 25-20, 25-16 and 25-19.
Madison Sollows was immense in the bounce-back win with 13 kills, 14 digs and two blocks.
Jen Peacock had six kills and two digs while Megan Dombrowski finished with six kills and two blocks.
Also figuring prominently in the win were Michaela Cornwall with six kills and a block, Nicole Derosier with 20 digs and Olivia Brodt with five digs and 25 assists, which leaves her four shy of 1,000 assists in her high school career.
Next up for the Raiders is a Friday tilt at D-Y.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, September 24, 2014
Notre Dame 3, Barnstable 0
The Red Raiders dropped the first game to the Cougars, 28-26, and never recovered, falling to Notre Dame Academy in Hingham.
Barnstable lost, 28-26, 25-19 and 25-14. It marks the first Red Raider loss since 2012 and the first time the four-time defending state Div. 1 champions were swept since 2009. They're now 6-1. Notre Dame is the defending Div. 2 state champion.
Madison Sollows led the Barnstable offense with nine kills while Michaela Cornwall and Megan Dombrowski each added eight and seven kills, respectively.
Nicole Derosier paced the defense with 14 digs.
THE BARNSTABLE PATRIOT
www.barnstablepatriot.com
September 19, 2014
Barnstable bests B-R
Red Raiders sweep Trojans in Volleyball
By Kathleen Szmit
THE THREES – Barnstable’s Olivia Brodt (3) and Megan Dombrowski (33) leap to block a shot against Bridgewater-Raynham Sept. 17. The Red Raiders won 3-0.
To the person who recently asked, “Is the girls’ volleyball team at BHS great this year?” the answer is yes, as evidenced by how quickly they dispatched the Bridgewater-Raynham Trojans Sept. 17.
The Red Raiders claimed an easy 3-0 victory, winning with scores of 25-11, 25-13, and 25-9.
Barnstable took an early edge in the opening game, and as the saying goes, never looked back as the Trojans struggled to stay afloat.
B-R made Game 2 a little more interesting with a competitive opening and several exciting volleys, but the game ultimately belonged to Barnstable, which peeled off consecutive points to take the win.
The Trojans briefly led the third game 5-3, but the Red Raiders regrouped, overcame the deficit and then some before earning the commanding victory.
The win continues their undefeated season, which kicked off Sept. 3 against Central Catholic. Since then they’ve played and defeated Dennis-Yarmouth, Hopkinton, Case and Medfield. So far their toughest opponent has been Hopkinton, which Barnstable defeated with scores of 25-18, 25-23, and 25-16.
In the Bridgewater-Raynham game, Megan Dombrowski had 10 kills, Madison Sollows nine, Emma Glover six, Jen Peacock five and Ashley McCarthy two.
Peacock had five aces and a dig, while Nicole Desrosier had 12 digs, with Sollows adding nine and Glover seven. Olivia Brodt chipped in an impressive 27 assists.
The team embarks Sept. 23 on a six-game travel streak, with its next home game slated for Oct. 9, also against Notre Dame.
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CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, September 18, 2014
Barnstable 3, Bridgewater-Raynham 0
Megan Dombrowski had 10 kills and Madison Sollows added nine as the Red Raiders earned a win over the Trojans in the teams' Old Colony League opener in Hyannis.
Dombrowski added a pair of blocks as Barnstable (6-0, 1-0 OCL) won 25-11, 25-13, 25-8.
Sollows added a pair of aces while Emma Glover and Jen Peacock had six kills each.
Peacock added 16 service points, including five aces, while Picabo Miskiv had 12 points, including three aces and Nicole Derosier had 12 digs.
The Red Raiders, the Div. 1 State champion, returns to action next Tuesday at Div. 2 State champ, Notre Dame of Hingham.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, September 17, 2014
Barnstable 3, Medfield 0
Olivia Brodt had 25 assists and 22 service points while Nicole Derosier had a season-high 22 digs to lead the Red Raiders over the Warriors 25-13, 25-7, 25-7 in Hyannis.
Brodt had three aces among her service points while Derosier also had seven points at the line as Barnstable improved to 5-0. The Raiders host Bridgewater-Raynham in its Old Colony League opener today.
Madison Sollows sparked the offense with 12 kills, seven digs, two blocks and an ace while Emma Glover had seven kills and six digs and Megan Dombrowski, Jen Peacock and Danielle Derosier had three kills each.
BostonHerald.com, September 11, 2014
http://bostonherald.com/sports/high_school/2014/09/girls_volleyball_barnstable_nd_among_hunted
Girls Volleyball: Barnstable, ND among hunted
Author:
Robyn Hayes
BACK TO THE FINAL: Barnstable players (from left) Stephanie Martin, Holly Wilson and Madison Sollows celebrate during last night’s victory.
Photo from 2013 Season taken by Stuart Cahill
Across every league and all three divisions, there is little change from calendar year to calendar year regarding which girls volleyball programs dominate the competition.
Nowhere is that more apparent than in Division 1 where Barnstable begins its drive for five.
The Red Raiders (23-0) suffered some key graduation losses and will rely heavily on Olivia Brodt, Madison Sollows and Nicole Derosier in their quest for a fifth straight state title. Longtime coach Tom Turco feels his team can compensate in other areas.
“How we start the season isn’t what matters,” Turco said. “Where we rank isn’t important, it will be what these girls learn along the way that will determine where we end up.”
Among the teams looking to dethrone Barnstable is state finalist Newton North. The Tigers have a strong returning class back, and coach Richard Barton feels that they are poised to make another run to the championship match.
“We are looking to maximize our strengths,” Barton said. “This year we have the experience, and we need to capitalize on it. We have been contenders for so long.”
Other contenders in Division 1 figure to be Andover, North Quincy, New Bedford and Brookline.
In Div. 2, Duxbury has broken into the ranks of the elite in just four years as a varsity program. The Dragons went undefeated in the regular season last year, making it to the South final against Notre Dame (Hingham). Duxbury returns three players who have been with the team since inception: Catherine Harrison, Cara Vetsch and Mackenzie Bright.
The same expectations ring true for reigning Div. 2 state champion Notre Dame (22-2). Helping to maintain the Cougars’ championship form will be all-state setter Corrine Cox, who coach Joshua Shephard said has the highest volleyball IQ of any player he has coached.
“It’s hard to say that a state title was our goal to start the season when we had never come close to getting a sniff at it.” Shephard said. “We were the ones hunting last year. Now we are the hunted.”
For the third straight season, the Div. 3 South title was won by Fairhaven (20-4). Heading into the 2014 season, the Blue Devils are reenergized behind all-state outside hitter Katie Leidhold and senior setter Nicole Arruda.
“Those two are really clicking,” coach Karen Arsenault said. “And Katie has been a starter since her first season, so I am expecting them to create cohesion and get everyone supporting each other.”
Lynnfield is a team which could give Fairhaven a run for its money.
The Boston Globe boston.com, September 6, 2014
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/09/06/barnstable-girls-volleyball-team-feeling-pressure-perfect-again/xhlSlTrGfSXX4pKNpvjyUP/story.html
Barnstable girls' volleyball team feeling pressure
Volleyball wagon rolls on
Author:
Hannah Becker, Globe Correspondent
Pressure to continue succeeding at a high level is the name of the game for the top girls’ volleyball teams.
Defending Division 1 champion Barnstable has won nine of the last 10 state titles and went 24-0 in 2013. The seniors don’t know what a season without a state championship feels like, and the goal of a 17th overall state crown is one the players have set this season.
“The only pressure they feel is the pressure they put on themselves,” coach Tom Turco said. With seven returning players, including starters Olivia Brodt, Madison Sollows, and Nicole Derosier, the Red Raiders have the weapons to repeat.
One way Barnstable prepares for a competitive postseason is by stacking its regular-season schedule with matchups against the state’s top squads. One team is defending Division 2 champion Notre Dame Academy of Hingham.
The programs will face off twice this season, but the stakes are higher for the Cougars, who are new to the success Barnstable has experienced for decades.
“I believe it’s a very different feeling, going from hunting the next level to being the hunted,” coach Joshua Shepherd said.
The Cougars are in good position with returning Globe All-Scholastic setter Corrine Cox leading the offense. “She got a lot of experience last year,” coach Josh Shepherd said. “This is the year I think she will take on more of a leadership role.”
In Division 3, Fairhaven will look to avenge its loss to Frontier Regional in the state championship game. The Blue Devils have won four straight South titles (the first three coming in Division 2), but the state title has eluded them.
With this season’s squad featuring nine seniors, winning it all is the goal.
“I think they still feel that anything is possible,” said coach Karen Arsenault. “They want to get back there. They sort of have the fever now.”
No player is more infected than senior Katie Leidhold, who has been on the varsity since her freshman year. “She wants to make it her fourth straight and then to put a state championship on top of that would obviously be great for her career,” Arsenault said.
To win the state championship, Fairhaven may have to contend with reigning Division 3 North champion Lynnfield, which it ousted in the semifinals last season, 3-0.
The Pioneers have a young team, with only one senior, outside hitter Emma Mancini, but coach Michelle Perrone is confident in her team’s ability to play at a high level.
“Our biggest goal is to develop team chemistry and confidence in our younger players,” Perrone said. “We have sophomores with very good skills and now it’s just a matter of taking those skills and playing at the next level.”
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, September 12, 2014
Barnstable 3, Case 0
The Red Raiders rolled over Case in Swansea behind a season-high 29 assists from Olivia Brodt (11 digs, four aces) and 14 kills from Madison Sollows.
Barnstable won by scores of 25-8, 25-11 and 25-12.
Michaela Cornwall had nine kills and four digs and Megan Dombrowski added three kills and two blocks.
Emma Glover recorded five kills to go along with her six digs and Nicole Derosier led the defense with 10 digs.
CAPE COD TIMES
September 10, 2014
Barnstable 3, Hopkinton 0
Emma Glover had 10 kills and nine digs and Madison Sollows had nine kills, four digs and two blocks as the Red Raiders fended off a touch challenge from the Hillers to prevail in Hyannis.
Barnstable improved to 3-0 with the 25-18, 25-23, 25-16 victory.
Michaela Cornwall (3 kills and five digs) finished off the middle game with a kill for the Red Raiders while Megan Dombrowski's two kills broke a late tie in the third game.
Olivia Brodt had 22 assists and 12 digs for Barnstable while Nicole Derosier led the way defensively with 18 digs. Picabo Miskiv had 11 service winners, including three aces from the service line for the Red Raiders.
CAPE COD TIMES
www.capecodonline.com, September 9, 2014
Barnstable Sweeps D-Y