April 16, 2021
CAPE & ISLANDS LEAGUE ATLANTIC DIVISION TOURNAMENT
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Barnstable @Dennis-Yarmouth, Win 3-0
Dennis-Yarmouth YouTube Channel
The Barnstable Patriot, April 23, 2021
Barnstable Volleyball gains redemption
No. 2 Red Hawks upset top-seeded D-Y, 25-20, 25-17, 26-24
By Mike Richard
So, if the third time’s the charm, what do you call the fourth time?
If you’re the Barnstable girls’ volleyball team, it’s called redemption.
Last Friday, the Red Hawks avenged not one loss, not two losses, but three defeats to Dennis-Yarmouth during the regular season, emerging victorious with a 3-0 sweep of the Dolphins for the Cape & Islands League Atlantic Tournament Championship.
Standout senior Caroline Kiehnau had a game-high 16 kills and served five aces, as the No. 2 Red Hawks upset topseeded D-Y, 25-20, 25-17, 26-24.
What made the victory all the more shocking was that the Dolphins seemed to get stronger as the season moved along. They defeated the Red Hawks in the first meeting on March16, 3-2, marking their first win over Barnstable since 1988.
Three days later, the Dolphins won again, this time 3-1, while the third match was a whitewash, 3-0, in D-Y’s favor on April 7.
However, in the championship game, veteran coach Tom Turco and his charges would not be denied.
In addition to the heroics by Kiehnau, Phoebe Gibson added seven kills, while Lindsay Jones added four kills, four aces and four blocks.
Those seniors going out as champions for the Red Hawks are Kiehnau and Gibson, along with Vanessa Jones, Greta Nickerson, Emma Tilton, Emily Mulcahy, and Sidney Higgins.
By Brad Joyal, Globe Correspondent
The text messages started arriving in Tom Turco’s inbox Thursday afternoon. The 33-year girls’ volleyball coach at Barnstable was hearing from relatives, all offering suggestions before his Red Hawks traveled to Dennis-Yarmouth for Friday’s Cape & Islands League Atlantic Division tournament final. “I got three texts — ‘You’ve got to get those seniors fired up,’” Turco said. “We met as a team yesterday and I told them about the texts. I told them, ‘This is Barnstable. This is our championship match.’ There’s nothing I’m going to say, it had to come from them.” Dennis-Yarmouth swept the three regular-season meetings — the first, on March 16, was Barnstable’s first loss to the Dolphins since 1988, Turco’s first year at the helm.
But the Red Hawks bounced back when it mattered most, capturing the C&I Atlantic tournament final with a 25-20, 25-17, 26-24 victory over top-seeded D-Y.
“It came from the heart and that’s why they prevailed,” Turco said. “They just came absolutely fired up — it started at yesterday’s practice.”
Barnstable (8-3) relied on senior Caroline Kiehnau, a Franklin Pierce University commit. Kiehnau posted a team-high 16 kills, including a thunderous right-handed spike that ended the third set and clinched the title.
“It meant the world to me,” Kiehnau said of recording the final point. “I didn’t grow up here — I grew up in Texas — but watching the girls down there play during their senior year, it was just something I always looked forward to. I wanted to have that moment.”
The outcome was a stunner for D-Y, which finished 12-1. The Dolphins earned 3-2, 3-1 and 3-0 victories over the Red Hawks during the regular season, though they never found their rhythm Friday. D-Y coach Dru Sisson attributed some of her team’s struggles to what she thought were questionable calls.
“I think that was probably the hardest part of the match,” Sisson said of the officiating. “You hate to blame it on something else, but it was just a really tough called match. They missed a lot of touches and it got into our kids’ heads a little bit and I had a tough time getting them out of it.”
Barnstable senior Phoebe Gibson recorded seven kills and sophomore Lindsay Jones added four. Junior co-captains Lucy Swanson (16 kills, 8 digs) and Alayna Rooney (15 digs) led D-Y.
Cape Cod Times, 4/16/21
Practice makes perfect: Barnstable volleyball wins league tournament
By Matt Goisman, Cape Cod Times
Photos by Ron Schloerb, Cape Cod Times
SOUTH YARMOUTH - Tom Turco knew his team had it long before Barnstable’s girls volleyball team stepped on the court. The Red Hawks held their last practice of the season Thursday night, swapping the typical three nets used simultaneously for just one that kept the entire team together for the entire practice.
It was, in Turco’s words, “the best practice of the year.”
“It was at that moment I knew they were going to win,” Turco said. “They were so together.”
That prediction proved correct 24 hours later, as Caroline Kiehnau’s 16 kills and 5 aces powered No. 2 Barnstable to a 25-20, 25-17, 26-24 win over the previously undefeated No. 1 Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins in the Cape & Islands League Atlantic Tournament girls volleyball championship on Friday night.
Barnstable (8-3) wrapped up its season in style after finishing behind D-Y (12-1) during a regular season in which the Dolphins beat the Red Hawks in all three showdowns.
“Couldn’t be prouder of this team,” Turco said. “They just came absolutely fired up.”
The Red Hawks quickly established this last match would be nothing like its first three against the Dolphins. Unforced errors had cost Barnstable in those games, most notably early in the season when D-Y earned its first win over the Division 1 dynasty since 1988.
Those errors kept Barnstable from dictating the pace of the match, and the Dolphins took advantage. This time Barnstable played much cleaner, giving up just four points on serving errors and six on carries or net violations.
That allowed the Red Hawks to run their offense far more consistently, leading to long runs like the eight-point streak in the second set that turned a 14-14 tie into the biggest lead of the night.
Kiehnau kicked off the run with a kill, then served up three aces to help push the lead to 22-14.
“This year, we used those (three) losses against D-Y as pure fuel,” Kiehnau said. “We were so angry, but angry in a good way, with a good energy that we used to fuel us.”
Phoebe Gibson finished off the second set with a kill, one of 7 in the match, then Lindsay Jones took over in the third set. Jones tallied 7 of her 12 points in the final set, finishing with 4 kills, 4 aces and 4 blocks.
Like Turco, Gibson said Thursday night’s practice was critical to the team winning Friday.
“We all got together as a team, and we knew we had to get it done,” Gibson said. “It was a complete mindset shift, I think. We knew it was for us. Every time we were on the court, we were saying, ‘This is ours.’”
Jones’ biggest play came after getting blocked late in the third set with D-Y ahead 24-23. Jones managed to stretch out one arm and knock the ball off her wrist and over the net, and D-Y’s defense didn’t react fast enough to stop it from falling to the court.
A Dolphins error put Barnstable at match point, then Kiehnau finished things off with a kill.
The Red Hawks bench promptly sprinted onto the court for a celebratory dogpile.
“I definitely got really close with a lot of the girls on the team, and I’m going to miss them a lot,” said Kiehnau, who’ll play for Division II Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire next year. “It was sad to see the seniors leave last year, and it’s kind of weird to be in that seat this year. It’s definitely an emotional event for a lot of people.”
Kiehnau and Gibson are two of Barnstable’s six graduating seniors. Kiehnau transferred to Barnstable as a junior last year, while Gibson first made the varsity as a sophomore in 2018.
Vanessa Jones, Emma Tilton and Greta Nickerson complete Barnstable’s senior class.
“The seniors last year, they wanted it so bad,” Gibson said. “We didn’t get it. Vanessa and I are the only two, we know how it feels to lose this final one, and all of us seniors knew we needed to get this done.”
D-Y will lose Ana Luiza Silva, Rose Baler, Michaela James and Lexi Hulten. Hulten finished the match with 31 assists, with Lucy Swanson producing 16 kills and Grace Presswood adding 12.
“The best D-Y team I’ve seen, and I’ve been around here for 35 years,” Turco said.
Despite the loss, it was still a year of firsts for D-Y. The Dolphins won the Cape & Islands League regular-season title for the first time since the four Cape-based Atlantic Coast League teams (D-Y, Sandwich, Nauset, Falmouth) and Barnstable formed the C&I Atlantic in 2019, and became the first team to win at Barnstable’s gymnasium and beat them twice in the same year since 2014.
“We had been preparing for some of the things that I knew were coming, but we were just a little bit off tonight,” said D-Y coach Dru Sisson. “We just had hoped we would finish it out with an undefeated season, of course, but you know what? To lose to one of the other top teams in the state, I can’t be mad at that.”
Contact Matt Goisman at mgoisman@capecodonline.com.
Photo Gallery from Cape Cod Times: View
Cape Cod Times, 4/16/21
Barnstable volleyball wins Atlantic tourney championship, hands D-Y 1st loss of season
SOUTH YARMOUTH - Caroline Kiehnau ripped 16 kills and served up 5 aces, and the No. 2 Barnstable Red Hawks girls volleyball team upset the No. 1 Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins 25-20, 25-17, 26-24 in the Cape & Islands League Atlantic Tournament championship Friday night at D-Y.
Phoebe Gibson added 7 kills and Lindsay Jones recorded 4 kills, 4 blocks and 4 aces for Barnstable (8-3), which had lost all three of its regular-season games against D-Y (12-1). Barnstable never trailed by more than 3 points Friday, and fought off set point in the third set when Jones bumped a blocked shot back over the net and the Dolphins failed to respond.
Lucy Swanson led the Dolphins with 16 kills and 8 digs, followed by Grace Presswood with 12 kills and 8 digs. Alayna Rooney, the school’s career leader in digs, finished with 15, and Lexie Hulten ran the offense with 31 assists.
Barnstable takes the floor to celebrate beating Dennis-Yarmouth in the Cape & Islands League Atlantic Tournament girls volleybal championship Friday in South Yarmouth.
Photo by Ron Schloerb, Cape Cod Times
Barnstable's girls volleyball team celebrates after the final point, beating Dennis-Yarmouth in the Cape & Islands League Atlantic Tournament championship. They are (from left) Emma Tilton, Caroline Kiehnau, Greta Nickerson, and Lindsay Jones.
Photo by Ron Schloerb, Cape Cod Times
Barnstable's girls volleyball team poses after winning the Cape & Islands League Atlantic Tournament championship Friday in South Yarmouth.
Photo by Ron Schloerb, Cape Cod Times
April 14, 2021
CAPE & ISLANDS ATLANTIC DIVISION TOURNAMENT
SEMI-FINALS
Barnstable vs Falmouth, Win 3-0
BarnstableB2BTV Channel
GAME STATS:
Barnstable 3 Falmouth 0
25-19, 25-10, 25-9
Seniors Caroline Kiehnau and Vanessa Jones led the offense with 12 kills and 9 kills respectively.
Sophomore Lindsay Jones and Juniors Allison Nystrom and Neely Alger each had 4 kills apiece.
Junior Setter Laura Cogswell had 34 assists and 4 aces.
Senior Phoebe Gibson had 2 blocks and the defense was nailed down by Emma Tilton (8 digs) Greta Nickerson (6 digs) and Sidney Higgs (5 digs)
Barnstable improves to 7-3
No. 2 Barnstable 3, No. 3 Falmouth 0:
Caroline Kiehnau had 12 kills as the Red Hawks beat the Clippers 25-19, 25-10, 25-9 in the Atlantic Tournament semifinals.
Vanessa Jones finished with 9 kills, Laura Cogswell had 34 assists and 4 aces, Phoebe Gibson helped with 2 blocks, Emma Tilton had 8 digs, and Greta Nickerson ended with 6 digs for Barnstable (7-3). Sidney Higgins had 5 digs and Lindsay Jones, Allison Nystrom and Neely Alger each had 4 kills.
“Shea MacLeod led the attack and Lily Craft, Paige Farrington, Caroline Koss, Anna Falcone and Camille Leite all played well,” Falmouth coach Ernie Holcomb said. “I am really pleased that in such a challenging time, this team showed up ready to play every single day and made the most out of a season unlike any other.”
GAME STATS:
Barnstable 3 Falmouth 0
25-4, 25-12, 25-8
On Senior Night
Sr. Caroline Kiehnau had 12 kills/5 aces
Sr. Vanessa Jones had 5 kills
Sr. Phoebe Gibson had 3 kills and 2 blocks
Sr. Emma Tilton 18 digs
Sr. Sidney Higgins 9 digs
Sr. Greta Nickerson 7 digs
A big night for the sophomore Lindsay Jones with 10 kills and Junior Allison Nystrom with 7 kills.
Junior setter Laura Cogswell had 34 assists.
Barnstable 3, Falmouth 0
Senior Caroline Kiehnau finished with 12 kills and 5 aces on senior night for the Red Hawks as they beat the Clippers 25-4, 25-12, 25-8 in a Cape & Islands League Atlantic matchup in Hyannis.
Among the seniors, Vanessa Jones had 5 kills, Phoebe Gibson had 3 kills and 2 blocks, Emma Tilton had 18 digs, Sidney Higgins had 9 digs and Greta Nickerson had 7 digs for Barnstable (6-3). Sophomore Lindsay Jones had 10 kills, junior Allison Nystrom had 7 kills and junior setter Laura Cogswell had 34 assists for Barnstable.
Barnstable scored the first 12 points of the first set and led 16-3 in the second set.
“Barnstable showed up tonight and attacked and defended well, while also putting us on our heels with strong serving,” Falmouth head coach Ernie Holcomb said.
Falmouth is now 6-4 on the season.
GAME STATS:
Barnstable 3 Sandwich 0
25-16 25-10 25-16
Barnstable won in 3 on Dig Yellow Night in memory of former player and All Scholastic Olivia Brodt.
The offense was led by Vanessa and Lindsay Jones who had 9 and 8 kills respectively. Caroline Kiehnau had 7 kills and Allison Nystrom and Phoebe Gibson each had 5 kills. Setter Laura Cogswell had 32 assists and 5 aces. Barnstable wraps up the regular season tomorrow night for Senior Night.
Barnstable 3, Sandwich 0:
Laura Cogswell had 32 assists and 5 aces as the Red Hawks defeated the Blue Knights 25-16, 25-10, 25-16 in Cape & Islands League Atlantic action in Hyannis.
Vanessa Jones had 9 kills, Lindsay Jones finished with 8 kills, Caroline Kiehnau ended with 7 kills and Allison Nystrom and Phoebe Gibson each had 5 kills for Barnstable (5-3).
Paula Tanguilig played well on defense with 20 digs and added 1 kill on offense, Sydney Hanlon had 12 assists, 1 kill and 1 ace, Katilyn Lozano ended with 7 digs and Brianna Stanton finished with 4 solo blocks and 1 kill for Sandwich (4-7).
The Red Hawks were playing their annual “Dig Yellow” game in honor of former setter Olivia Brodt, who died from cancer at 20 years old in April 2017.
Dennis-Yarmouth volleyball beats Barnstable, wins 10th straight
SOUTH YARMOUTH - Grace Presswood led the offense with 15 kills and 5 aces as the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins defeated the Barnstable Red Hawks 25-18, 25-19, 25-22 to remain undefeated in Cape & Islands League Atlantic girls volleyball action on Wednesday.
Lucy Swanson ended with 13 kills and 10 digs, Alayna Rooney finished with 17 digs and 2 kills, Lexie Hulten had a good offensive game with 30 assists and Rose Baler contributed 3 kills for D-Y (10-0).
GAME STATS:
Barnstable 3 Nauset 0
25-17, 25-9, 25-7
Caroline Kiehnau had 12 Kills
Lindsay Jones had 10 kills
Vanessa Jones and Emily Mulcahy had 7 kills each
Laura Cogswell had 36 assists
Greta Nickerson had 8 aces
Dierdre Mullin had 4 aces
Barnstable 4-2
Cape Cod Times, 4/5/21
Staff Reports
Barnstable 3, Nauset 0
Caroline Kiehnau fired 12 kills, and Laura Cogswell ran the offense with 36 assists as the Red Hawks beat the Warriors 25-17, 25-9, 25-7 in a Cape & Islands League Atlantic match in North Eastham.
Lindsay Jones made 10 kills for Barnstable (4-2), followed by Vanessa Jones and Emily Mulcahy with 7 each. Greta Nickerson recorded 8 aces and Dierdre Mullin added 4.
Nauset is 1-6.
March 23, 2021
Barnstable vs Sandwich,Win 3-0
Live Stream Sandwich YouTube Channel
GAME STATS:
25-8,
25-9,
25-9
Senior Caroline Kiehnau had 13 Kills
Senior Phoebe Gibson had 6 kills
Junior Neely Alger had 4 kills
Senior Sidney Higgins had 5 aces
Senior Greta Nickerson had 4 aces
Senior Emma Tilton 16 digs
Junior Setter Laura Cogswell had 27 assists
Barnstable is 3-2
Cape Cod Times, 3/23/21
Staff Reports
Barnstable 3, Sandwich 0
Caroline Kiehnau had 13 kills as Barnstable defeated the Blue Knights 25-15, 25-9, 25-9 in a Cape & Islands League Atlantic matchup in East Sandwich. Laura Cogswell had 27 assists, Emma Tilton had 16 digs, Phoebe Gibson had 6 kills, Sidney Higgins had 5 aces and Greta Nickerson and Neely Alger each had 4 kills for Barnstable (3-2). Paula Tangulig had 14 digs, Sydney Hanlon had 6 assists, 1 kill and 1 ace, Erica Sundermeyer had 7 assists and 1 kill, Ella McCabe had 1 solo block and 2 kills and Maria Mozeleski had 1 kill and 1 ace for Sandwich (2-2).
March 19, 2021
Barnstable vs Dennis-Yarmouth, Loss 1-3
Live Stream D-Y YouTube Channel
GAME STATS:
BHS 26 DY 24; BHS 23 DY 25; BHS 21 DY 25; BHS 18 DY 25
Senior Caroline Kiehnau had 17 kills
Sophomore Lindsay Jones had 12 kills
Junior Laura Cogswell had 39 assists
Senior Emma Tilton had 26 digs
Senior Sidney Higgins had 14 digs
Barnstable is 2-2
Dennis-Yarmouth volleyball beats Barnstable again
SOUTH YARMOUTH - Barnstable’s girls volleyball team has gone through entire regular seasons without losing a set, let alone a match.
Dennis-Yarmouth’s girls volleyball team has now beaten the newly named Red Hawks twice in a week.
The Dolphins followed up Tuesday’s five-set victory with a 3-1 win Friday in Cape & Islands League Atlantic action.
D-Y (5-0) lost the first set 24-26, but won the next three 25-23, 25-21, 25-18.
Lucy Swanson had 24 digs and14 kills, Grace Presswood had 18 digs and 13 kills and Ana Luiza Silva had 8 kills and 3 blocks for good all-around games for D-Y. On the defensive end, Alayna Rooney had 24 digs and Ellen Swanson had 13 digs. Lexie Hulten helped with 36 assists and 2 aces.
Kiehnau's volleyball career thrives at Barnstable
Barnstable's Caroline Kiehnau returns a ball against Dennis-Yarmouth during their match Tuesday in Hyannis.
Photo Merrily Cassidy, Cape Cod Times
At the beginning of her junior year in 2019, Caroline Kiehnau moved from Atlanta, Georgia, to Massachusetts. While her parents looked for a nice place to stay closer to family and for future retirement, Kiehnau looked into schools for something she has played since fifth grade, volleyball. Her search ended at Barnstable High School.
“I am banking on playing volleyball in college and Barnstable is the best around, so I figured I should play here,” Kiehnau said.
One of the main reasons Barnstable is one of the best volleyball teams in the area is because of head coach Tom Turco. Turco has coached Barnstable varsity volleyball since 1988. Since his arrival, Barnstable has won 18 Division I state championships, 25 South Sectional Championships and had 10 undefeated seasons.
“Caroline is a very skilled player and is a good outside hitter,” Turco said. “She hits a variety of shots and has definitely improved since coming to us last year.
Kiehnau says that Turco is an “amazing coach” and has the best interests for his players on and off the court.
“Coach Turco is an amazing coach,” Kiehnau said. “He does his job very well and he really looks out the well-being of his players, which is something I really appreciate. He looks for players that are, not only good athletes but good people. He’s just a good all-around person and I really enjoy playing for him. He’s made me and the entire team better players.”
When Kiehnau arrived at Barnstable, she was “surprised” that the transition went really smoothly and that all the girls on the team were very welcoming.
“As soon as I stepped on the court, I could just feel the good chemistry and I knew we were going to bond really well,” Kiehnau said. “They helped me learn the team drills and all the traditions of Barnstable volleyball and everything they are known for. I had no idea because I had never heard of Barnstable before I moved here.”
Senior Vanness Jones is a teammate of Kiehnau and says that she is very hard-working. They have developed a bond outside of school and have become very close friends.
“Kiehnau is very uplifting and probably the loudest one on the court at all times,” Jones said. “She is a very well-rounded player so she plays any position she is put in. She’s a good leader out on the court and always encourages somebody when they are down. You can always rely on her to get the ball up or a kill on a side-out.”
Laura Cogswell is a junior and says that she sees Kiehnau as a role model not only for her but the entire varsity and junior varsity players.
“Caroline is such a great teammate and an amazing player,” Cogswell said. “She is definitely a big part of the team this season. She is always kind and supportive on and off the court. I love setting to her and it's been a great opportunity playing with her this year and last year.”
Last season, Kiehnau helped Barnstable to a Cape & Islands League Volleyball Atlantic title and a South Sectional championship, although they lost 3-2 in the semifinals of the state tournament to Winchester. This season, they have started 2-1. Their loss came to Dennis-Yarmouth, who beat Barnstable for the first time since 1988. Barnstable will look for payback as they face each other again Friday.
“I talked to coach Turco about this game and he said something that really stuck out to me: ‘It’s really hard to beat the same team for more than 30 years in a row,’” Kiehnau said. “I think going into the next game, we just need to keep a level head and level play at times when we make mistakes. We need to minimize the amount of mistakes that we made on our side of the court.”
Kiehnau committed last August to Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire on an athletic scholarship for volleyball and an academic scholarship, where she plans to major in Business Finance.
“I have already been talking to girls from the Franklin Pierce volleyball team and they are such nice people,” Kiehnau said. “I am going to college to get a degree and volleyball is helping me pay for that. I’m just a competitive person and I just love the game of volleyball and everything about it. I didn’t want that to stop at the end of high school. I don’t know what the season will hold in college, but I’m excited and looking forward to it.”
March 16, 2021
Barnstable vs Dennis-Yarmouth, Loss 2-3
Live Stream YouTube
GAME STATS:
BHS 18- DY 25; BHS 25-DY 15; BHS 25-DY 16; BHS 23-DY 25; BHS 11-DY 15
Senior Caroline Kiehnau had 21 Kills and.7 aces
Senior Vanessa Jones had 11 Kills
Junior Laura Cogswell had 48 assists and 4 kills
Sophomore Lindsay Jones had 6 kills
Cape Cod Times, 3/18/21
Staff Reports
Lucy Swanson and Grace Presswood each fired 19 kills, and the Dolphins beat Barnstable for the first time since 1988, winning 25-18, 15-25, 16-25, 25-23, 15-11 on Tuesday in Hyannis.
Presswood added 27 digs and two aces for D-Y (3-0), and Swanson recorded 19 digs and an ace. Libero Alayna Rooney led the defense with 29 digs, while Lexie Hulten anchored the defense with 46 assists
Caroline Kiehnau led Barnstable (2-1) with 19 kills, a block and seven aces. Kiehnau aced five serves in a key 9-0 run that put her team in control of the second set, and along with Lindsay Jones helped the team to a 20-10 lead i the third.
Three straight kills by Swanson made it 8-1 D-Y early in the fourth. Vanessa Jones (12 kills) eventually gave Barnstable back the lead, but an ace by Ellen Swanson tied the game 22-22, and Presswood and Lucy Swanson closed out the set.
The duo then broke a 9-9 tie in the fifth set, and Lucy Swanson ripped an attack off the Barnstable block to win it.
KILLER UPSET
Barnstable’s Caroline Kiehnau, left, attempts to deny Dennis-Yarmouth’s Lexie Hulten at the net.
Photo by Merrily Cassidy, Cape Cod Times
D-Y volleyball defeats Barnstable for the first time since ’88
HYANNIS – This is shaping up to be a pretty competitive girls volleyball season in the Atlantic division of the Cape & Islands League. Falmouth made program history by winning a set against Barnstable last week, and Dennis-Yarmouth repeated the feat to open up Tuesday’s match.
That victory would be a sign of things to come, as the Dolphins came back from a two-set deficit in the match to beat Barnstable 25-18, 15-25, 16-25, 2523, 15-11.
“I was really proud of them for pushing,” said D-Y coach Dru Sisson. “They wanted this more than anything.”
It’s the first time D-Y (3-0) has beaten Barnstable since 1988, which was Tom Turco’s first year as head coach. It’s also the first time Barnstable (2-1) has lost at home since 2014.
“This year and last year it’s become competitive,” Turco said. “She (Sisson) has a really good group.”
Tuesday’s match pitted a pair of 2019 state semifinalists against each other, as Barnstable and D-Y won the Division 1 and Division 2 South sectionals, respectively. Barnstable might be used to that spotlight, having won the last 10 South titles and 25 dating back to 1993, but D-Y was in completely new territory.
Both teams lost in the semis, but D-Y went into the 2020-21 year with high hopes. Just one senior graduated off the 2019 team, and the return of big hitters like Grace Presswood and Lucy Swanson, plus libero Alayna Rooney and setter Lexie Hulten, had the Dolphins excited for what they could accomplish.
“To beat Barnstable is always our goal,” Presswood said. “Every day we’ve put our all into it. We’ve lost every year to them, and we didn’t want to have that reputation anymore.”
The pandemic has wreaked havoc on high school athletics this year. Cape volleyball teams are playing in March
and April instead of the fall because of a newly created “Fall II” season. There hasn’t been a postseason state tournament in any sport since the 2020 winter season, and many teams’ schedules have had to change repeatedly at short notice because either they or their opponent have had to go into quarantine.
It also meant no Dolphins fans could witness the historic victory in person, as Barnstable has only allowed its own fans at home games.
That didn’t stop the excitement when Swanson earned her 19th kill, smashing the ball off the Barnstable block and out of bounds to wrap up the fifth set. Presswood also recorded 19 kills, and added 27 blocks on defense, second behind Rooney (29).
“It’s incredible,” Swanson said. “I feel like it didn’t even happen.”
All of Barnstable’s top hitters from last season are back, led by Caroline Kiehnau (19 kills, 7 aces against D-Y) and Vanessa Jones (12 kills). It’s now Laura Cogswell’s turn to run the offense as lead setter, and she did a bit of everything Tuesday, recording 16 digs and 4 kills to go with 43 assists.
Still, Barnstable struggled to string together long scoring runs in three of the five sets.
“It’s the little things we have to work on that really make big points,” Turco said.
A long serving run by Kiehnau in the second set paved the way for Barnstable to win and even the match, and kills by Kiehnau and Lindsay Jones made it 2010 Barnstable late in the third.
But Swanson took over early in the fourth set, leading to an 8-1 Dolphins lead, then along with Presswood closed out the set after Barnstable fought back to a 22-22 tie. The teams were tied 9-9 in the fifth set before D-Y pulled ahead for the win.
“When you’re playing against such a veteran team and veteran coach, they’re going to figure out what’s going on,” Sisson said. “The fourth set and the fifth set, we went back to charging at them as best we could.”
Barnstable, D-Y, Falmouth and Sandwich make up the Atlantic division of the Cape & Islands League. Each team will play each other twice, but Barnstable and D-Y will also play two matches that won’t count toward league standings, including Friday in South Yarmouth.
If Tuesday’s game is any indication, some more exciting, competitive volleyball could be in store for the Cape this weekend.
“I’m really happy that it’s been more competitive,” Sisson said. “Volleyball on the Cape is definitely not just centralized in the Barnstable area.”
Photos by Cape Cod Times
 
Laura Cogswell finished with 31 assists and 7 aces as Barnstable beat the Warriors in Cape & Islands League Atlantic action Friday. Barnstable won in straight sets 25-6, 25-6, 25-15. Senior Emily Mulcahy had 8 kills, Junior Alison Nystrom had 7 kills, Senior Caroline Kiehnau had 6 kills and Sophomore Lindsay Jones and Senior Vanessa Jones had 4 kills each for Barnstable. Junior Setter Laura Cogswell had 31 assists and 7 aces. Barnstable is now 2-0.
Falmouth Volleyball Makes History in Loss to Barnstable
In the third set of their 3-1 loss to Barnstable on Thursday, the Falmouth Clippers volleyball team reached a milestone as they defeated Barnstable 27-25, winning their first set in school history against their archrival, according to Falmouth head coach Ernie Holcomb.
“Barnstable head coach Tom Turco has a well respected program and has set the bar,” Holcomb said. “It has always been a motivating point for Falmouth kids to feel like they played well in a game against him. They weren’t thinking about getting a win against them.”
Caroline Kiehnau had 19 kills as Barnstable won 25-22, 25-17, 25-27, 25-20. Laura Cogswell had 38 assists and 7 aces, Emma Tilton had 14 digs, Phoebe Gibson and Vanessa Jones each had 6 kills, Emily Mulcahy had 4 kills and Emma Corley had 4 aces for Barnstable (1-0).
Shea MacLoud had 11 kills and 6 blocks, Camille Leite had 20 assists and Paige Farrington had 4 kills and 3 blocks for Falmouth (0-1).
The Barnstable Patriot
www.barnstablepatriot.com, March 5, 2021
Barnstable Volleyball Honors
Last fall, the Barnstable girls' volleyball team received the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Team Academic Achievement Award. It marked the eighth straight year Barnstable won the award, which honors teams that maintain a yearlong gradepoint average of at least 3.30 on a 4.00 scale. In addition, senior Caroline Kiehnau has verbally committed to Division II Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire. Kiehnau, a rightside hitter and setter, moved to Barnstable last year after attending school in Georgia. In 2019, she recorded 154 kills and 25 aces, and helped the team win its 10th consecutive Division 1 South Sectional title.
Barnstable Volleyball Wins AVCA Team Academic Award
Barnstable's girls volleyball team has won the 2019-20 American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award.
More Information on AVCA Team Academic Award...
American Volleyball Coaches Association (avca.org) |
