Mariners Fight but Fall in Opening Round of Volleyball Playoffs

PAWTUCKET – The Narragansett High girls' volleyball team had chances to pull the upset and battled for two-and-half hours, but eventually fell to the favored Tolman Tigers 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-12) in the opening round of the Division II playoffs.

Despite the disappointing loss, Narragansett (9-6, 9-6 Division II-South) head coach Joni Stern-Lonczak said she was excited for the future of the program and how far her team had come.

"This group hasn't had a playoff bid in a while," she said. In division play, the Mariners finished 3-13 in 2009, and last finished with a winning record in 2007. "I'm looking forward to next year."

After a shaky first game, the No. 9 Mariners won the second and third from No. 8 Tolman with strong play in the middle from freshman Gabrielle Leclerc and sophomore Hannah Maymon. The underclassmen took advantage of solid passing from captains and seniors Caitlin Skenyon, Deanna Casey, Kristina Barbone and Rachel Gouveia.

"They're all very coachable girls," Stern-Lonczak said.

Stern-Lonczak said she made some lineup changes, such as moving Leclerc to a hitting position, which seemed to contribute to the team's success. The Mariners won five of their last six regular season games.

Maymon and Leclerc both play year-round on club teams, Stern-Lonczak said, adding that the difference in Maymon's game from freshman to sophomore year has been tremendous.

"Her game has just exploded this year," she said. "When you're playing year-round, you just get so much better."

The Mariners played their best stretch of volleyball in the second game. They jumped out to a 17-6 lead, with kills coming from Maymon, Leclerc and Barbone.

However, Tolman slowly chipped at the lead with a formula they'd use the whole night. Captain and middle hitter Jenna Ayala frustrated the Mariners all night, as the tall senior continually tipped the ball over Narragansett blocks.

"They hurt us with that," Stern-Lonczak said, adding that they haven't seen Tolman play until that day. "We tried to verbally prepare, but we just couldn't react quick enough."

The Mariners managed to hold on and win the second. A pair of kills by Maymon edged the score up to 24-19. Tolman scored the next four points, but Maymon won the game with another kill.

In the third, the two teams stayed within five points of each other throughout, before Narragansett staked out a 21-18 lead. The teams traded points to 24-22, before the Mariners sealed the game in a frantic exchange (see video).

Junior Samantha Sabetti and Gouveia collided near the sideline as they tried to recover the ball, but luckily, one of them managed to hit it back toward the court. At the net, Maymon tapped it through the block of a Tolman defender to win the game.

Tolman controlled most of the fourth game, which was marred at the end. As Narragansett was serving and down 24-20, a spectator yelled. Match officials asked school staff to speak with the fan, but the point stood, and Tolman took the fourth.

In the final game, Tolman jumped out to a 12-5 lead, primarily on service and return errors by Narragansett. Stern-Lonczak said a little bit better passing would have made the difference.

However, the Mariners fought back, and a pair of Tolman errors got Narragansett within two, 13-11. The teams traded points, but the Tigers put the match away by forcing a Narragansett error.

The Tigers will play at Bay View 6:30 p.m. Monday. Bay View finished the regular season with a perfect 14-0 record in Division II-Central play.