Warriors Open Playoffs With Sweeping Success

By Eliot Schickler

There was no doubt that the Brookline High girls' volleyball team would win its Division 1 playoff opening-round game.

Second-seeded Brookline won its 14th straight match in a dominant 3-0 (25-12, 25-8, 25-11) home victory over 31st-seeded Cambridge Rindge and Latin on Saturday, November 2. The Warriors never trailed by more than two points the entire match – their latest deficit being 5-3 in the first set – all three times in arrears quickly vanished, raising their record to 16-3.

Brookline hosts 15th-seeded Quincy High (18-3), a 3-0 winner over Wellesley High in its first-round match on Wednesday, November 6 at 6 p.m., in the second round of the Division 1 playoffs. Although Cambridge fought valiantly, it was over-matched by a superior opponent, and its season ended at 9-13.

“I think we came out strong today,” Warriors Coach Caitlin Sobolewski said. “We’ve been preparing for the playoffs since Day 1.”

The match opened when sophomore lefty setter Nora Mullen set up senior tri-captain Serina Ohyama for a kill, which appeared to be a good omen for Brookline. Unfortunately for the Warriors, it took them a while to get their motors started as early errors prevented them from taking the early lead. This was their first real match in nine days, which was understandable. The Falcons, on the other hand, defeated 34th-seeded Malden High, 3-1, the night before in a
preliminary round match.

Cambridge also had senior southpaw Dynaria Goodridge, who did everything for the underdogs. Goodridge served two straight points, the second one an ace, to give the Falcons a 4-2 lead. Junior Bella Bacon’s kill from the back row stopped the spurt at two before a blocking error by Brookline brought the score to a 5-3 score.

A block by Cambridge sophomore Noah Beyer gave the underdogs their last lead of the opening set at 6-5, but following a Falcons service error, the Warriors took the lead for good in the opener at 8-6 on junior Stasya Budnik’s two service aces. The 6’2 middle hitter Budnik (three kills, four service points, two aces, one dig) had zero service errors on seven serves.

This was only the beginning for Brookline. Cambridge had trouble handling a lefty server as Mullen (13 service points, six aces) showed her prowess behind the service line with five straight service points to give the Warriors a 14-8 lead. Her surge was highlighted by three straight aces with perfect placement and was 15-for-16 in getting her serves in for the match, an impressive 93.8 service percentage.

“Whenever I went back there to serve, I focused on getting a floater on it so it would be hard for them to return it,” Mullen said. “I aim for the seams so it would be hard for the opponent to
communicate.”

Falcons senior Greta Donati ended this surge with a kill, but her team couldn’t go on a run when it was their turn to serve. Brookline sophomore Molly Tipton made sure of it when she slammed
home a kill from Mullen to force a side-out.

Tipton’s point set the stage for Bacon (13 service points, three aces), who served six straight points – opening her run with two straight aces – to break the set further open at 21-9. She was
16-for-18 in getting her serves over, a great 88.9 percent.

“I really focused on getting the ball over,” Bacon said.

It all started on defense for the Warriors with junior libero Maya Nock (19 digs, 12 receptions), who scooped up many balls and prevented them from hitting the floor. Nock then got it to Mullen,
who did the rest.

“Reading the hitters is a big part of it,” Nock said. “I also get advice from my teammates and coaches so I can get an idea where they will hit it.”

Once Mullen (30 assists, three digs) receives the ball, she’s magic with it in finding different hitters to pound home the kills. Sobolewski gushed after the game about how much Mullen has improved her game since Day 1, plays with no fear, and is a quarterback on the court.

“We try to run a bunch of different plays, and I communicate with my hitters,” Mullen said. “I try to spread the ball around to get the opposition guessing.”

Mullen’s top target for the match was junior Emilie Ferdinand (10 kills, five blocks, eight receptions, three digs), who helped Bacon’s surge with two kills and a block.

“Nora is a really good setter, and always gives me good balls to hit,” Ferdinand said.

Ohyama (seven kills, two blocks, one dig) was instrumental in Bacon’s seven-point service roll early in the second set, which gave Brookline an 8-2 lead. The 5’11 senior tri-captain middle
hitter had four kills and a block during the run.

“We had great energy, and our passes were good,” Ohyama said.

Ferdinand (four service points, three aces) was a perfect 7-for-7 in serving the ball, and her three service points, which began with two aces, increased the lead to double figures, 16-6.

“I have to take a big deep breath before I serve and I focus on my mechanics,” Ferdinand said.

Mullen ended the set with seven straight service points, three aces, the third one which landed perfectly. Senior tri-captain Laurel Zahka (four kills, two digs, one block) procured two points for her lefty teammate, one with a block, and the marker which clinched the set with a thunderous kill off of Mullen’s set.

“We didn’t want our energy to drop because they are a very good team, and they would take advantage of it,” Zahka said. “We took Cambridge 100 percent seriously.”

Nock’s six-point service run in the third set gave the Warriors an 8-3 lead, an advantage they never relinquished.

“I try to get in a hard serve, and I look for the openings,” Nock said. “I also try to vary up my serves.”

Bacon (five kills, 12 digs, six receptions) helped Brookline with her hitting and defense.

“Nora is a really good setter, and that’s very helpful,” Bacon said.

Warriors sophomore Mia Jones played with heart and had a diving dig. Although they didn’t have any stats to show for it, juniors Josie Ross and Maliah Thompson contributed in the back and front
rows, respectively.

Zahka closed out the match with four straight service points, starting with three aces, before Ferdinand clinched the victory with a block.

“I tried to relax my shoulders and it went well,” Zahka said. “I was being aware of my mechanics and my location of the ball. I was also aware of the openings on the court.”

Brookline hopes to win four more matches and be the Division 1 champions.

“We’re ready to move on,” Zahka said.

Ohyama said, “I feel the 3-0 win is a great foundation for BHS volleyball during this tournament run. I think we’ll do it. We have great energy against Cambridge, and it will carry us as far as it
takes us.”