Victory is served: Frazier无毛视频檚 serve game, balanced attack too much for Clarion
WEXFORD 无毛视频� Frazier rolled the dice in its game plan against Clarion.
Lady Commodores coach Mandy Hartman advised her team to go all out in its serve game and hope for the best in Saturday无毛视频檚 PIAA girls volleyball Class A quarterfinal match at North Allegheny无毛视频檚 UPMC Court.
Her players did so and in the end the strategy paid off with a 3-0 sweep for Frazier over the District 9 champion Lady Bobcats and propelled it to the state final four for the first time in program history.
Addison Hiles led the way with 13 service points and Gracen Hartman followed with nine and the Lady Commodores (17-4) were also buoyed by a balanced attack up front sparked by Maddie Salisbury无毛视频檚 12 kills as Frazier rolled to victory by scores of 25-13, 25-20 and 25-15.
The win sets up a rematch of the WPIAL final on Tuesday with Greensburg Central Catholic, which swept District 6 champion West Branch, 3-0. The Lady Centurions, who lost to Frazier twice during the regular season in Section 4 play, demolished the Lady Commodores in the district final, 3-0.
Frazier welcomes the rematch with GCC.
无毛视频淲hen the last point went in I was really excited and right away thought we无毛视频檙e ready to play GCC again,无毛视频� Salisbury said. 无毛视频淚 think it really motivated us, losing that WPIAL championship game. I无毛视频檝e honestly never seen us play this good.无毛视频�
Mandy Hartman mapped out the best path to success against Clarion to her players during its preparation.
无毛视频淚 told them before the match, we无毛视频檙e gambling. We无毛视频檙e serving as hard as we can,无毛视频� Hartman said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e being aggressive. If we miss a little bit more than usual I think the benefits can out-weigh the cost. It all worked out for us.无毛视频�
Did it ever.
Frazier rang up seven service aces in the first set, including two in a row by Grace Vaughn that gave her team a quick 3-0 lead. Salisbury followed a kill with three consecutive service aces that put the Lady Commodores ahead 11-3 and they never looked back.
无毛视频淥nce we started getting our serves in I could tell it was giving them a lot of problems,无毛视频� Salisbury said. 无毛视频淲e work on our serves a lot. We take a lot of pride in how good our team is serving-wise.无毛视频�
Hiles added an ace to make it 21-10 and, fittingly, Allie Monack无毛视频檚 ace finished off the first set.
无毛视频淭o get those big points early and get that first set under our belt I think really set the tone for the match,无毛视频� Hartman said.
Rob Burchianti | 无毛视频-StandardFrazier无毛视频檚 girls volleyball team poses for a photo after defeating Clarion, 3-0, in Saturday无毛视频檚 PIAA Class A quarterfinal match at North Allgheny无毛视频檚 UPMC Court.
无毛视频淲e were consistent. The girls did a great job. They无毛视频檙e executing game plans really well. We knew we had to keep their big hitters uncomfortable. They have No. 3 (Marley Kline) who无毛视频檚 a stud and as soon as she goes to the back row you have to face No. 22 (Hadlee Campbell). We really tried to keep them off-balance with our serves.无毛视频�
Clarion coach Shari Campbell felt that was the determining factor in her team无毛视频檚 loss.
无毛视频淚 really feel like their serving was key,无毛视频� said Campbell, who guided Clarion to PIAA titles in 2020 and 2021. 无毛视频淲e got rattled because our serve-receive wasn无毛视频檛 there. We had a hard time getting balls to (her daughter) Hadlee and Marley.
无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e a great team. They无毛视频檙e a strong team.无毛视频�
Hartman has great respect for Campbell and the Lady Bobcats (13-5).
无毛视频淲e knew what we were going up against tonight,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淐larion is a perennial powerhouse. They无毛视频檙e very well coached. She无毛视频檚 been here as long as I无毛视频檝e been here.无毛视频�
Clarion regrouped and tried to battle back in a back-and-forth second set that had 12 ties and nine lead changes. With the score knotted at 16-16, Frazier took four of the next five points and led the rest of the way. Vaughn had two late kills and her return resulted in a Clarion error that closed out the second set.
The Lady Bobcats, desperate to extend the match, fought hard in the third set but Frazier used an eight-point run to turn a slim 10-9 lead into a comfortable 18-9 advantage. Gracen Hartman recorded seven service points with an ace during the pivotal burst which also included a kill by Vaughn and three by Salisbury, the second of which came after an outstanding deep save by Hiles.
A Monack kill put the score at 24-12. Clarion fought off two match points before Addison Schultz buried a kill to end it.
无毛视频淚t feels really awesome,无毛视频� Salisbury said of reaching the state semifinals. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 really excited.无毛视频�
Following Salisbury for Frazier in kills were Monack with 10, Vaughn with eight and Schultz with seven.
无毛视频淔or a Class A school, that无毛视频檚 our greatest strength,无毛视频� Hartman said. 无毛视频淢ost Class A teams don无毛视频檛 have the luxury of all those girls who can put the ball down at any point in time. Honestly I really don无毛视频檛 even tell my setter (daughter Gracen Hartman) where to put the ball. It无毛视频檚 totally in her hands, pick one.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 been a great ride. I think the serving and the balanced offense, that无毛视频檚 why we无毛视频檙e in the position we无毛视频檙e in right now.无毛视频�
Kline wound up with 14 kills and Campbell had seven for the Lady Bobcats (13-5).
Gracen Hartman had 22 assists for the Lady Commodores who also got 12 digs from Hiles, eight digs from Grace Polkabla, five blocks from Schultz and three blocks from Salisbury.
Mandy Hartman commended her team for stepping up during the PIAA tournament.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 do-or-die time and I don无毛视频檛 think any of these girls on this team are ready to turn in their uniforms,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e so driven. They all had breakfast together. It无毛视频檚 the tightest group I无毛视频檝e ever had. I think that says a lot about them and why they无毛视频檙e still going strong. They无毛视频檙e pushing me. I无毛视频檓 twice their age and this is the longest season I无毛视频檝e coached.
无毛视频淣ot that I无毛视频檓 complaining.无毛视频�