The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Amherst has an abundance of hitters
In her 27 years of coaching Laurie Cogan has never had as many hitters as this season’s Amherst squad offers. Plus, the Top of the Crop and volleyball statistics leaders.
In her 27 years of coaching at Amherst, Laurie Cogan doesn’t remember ever touting an offense quite like what she has seen from her 2017 team.
The Comets, according to Cogan, have hitters everywhere on the court at all times, and even deep on the bench if need be, so it’s no wonder Amherst has been causing problems for opposing defenses all season.
“A lot of teams don’t have as many weapons as we have offensively,” Cogan said. “I usually — this is my 27th year — usually I’ve got, if I’m lucky, two (hitters). We can go anywhere this year and that’s been something that I’m not used to and it’s proving to be huge.”
It’s certainly proved to be the difference as the undefeated Comets have won their first 13 games — their best start since going 18-0 to start the 2010 season on the way to a 24-2 regional semifinal finish.
And it was most definitely the difference in Amherst’s 3-0 sweep of Southwestern Conference rival Avon Sept. 14.
“(It’s) bigger than I thought it would be, never having had experienced that, but to have so many hitters, (setter) London (Voss) having so many options, that’s been the big difference for us.”
As a team, the Comets averaged 12.3 kills per set prior to the Avon game and have three players averaging over two per set — Sarah Weigand with 3.5, Tory Small with 2.9 and Payton Jackson with 2.7.
Factor in the dominant Amherst net-defense, averaging 2.6 blocks per set as a team, and the Comets have found their recipe for success.
“We are probably as good a blocking team as you’re going to find,” Cogan said. “We’re just steady.”
While the on-court improvements are no doubt paying off, setter London Voss said the team has changed its mindset as well, walking into the gym with more confidence than they’ve every had before.
“We went into this season confident, and in past years we’ve had confidence but nothing like the confidence we have this year,” Voss said.
“We put in so much time over the summer and now we’re in great shape, our chemistry as a team is perfect, and it’s paying off.”
The win over Avon, especially on the Eagles’ home court, adds even more fuel to the fire of a hungry Amherst team that was looking for some revenge after being swept by Avon in the postseason.
But Cogan continues to preach what has worked so far this season: playing steady.
“I told the kids, ‘When you’re on the court you have to conserve energy. Spend it all making plays, don’t spend it celebrating or getting down on yourselves. Only use (energy) to make plays,’” Cogan said after the Avon game.
“We knew we would have our hands full. We knew it was going to be a match we’ve been looking forward to,” she added. “(Avon) embarrassed us last year in the tournament. We’ve been looking forward to getting back on the court with (Avon). But it’s still a long season. We’re just going to take it as it is. ... It’s just another match at this point.”
Amherst defeated North Ridgeville, 3-0, Sept. 18. Jackson had 10 kills while Weigand and Small each
Dropped out: None. Watch list: Lorain 7-4, Open Door 7-4, Brookside 6-6, Vermilion 5-8
Crop comments: Amherst ranks No. 1 for the third week in a row. The Comets are the 12th-ranked team in Division I according to the latest OHSVCA poll. ... Avon and Westlake remain Nos. 2 and 3 after picking up wins this week. ... Fairview jumps to fourth, going 2-0 on the week. ... Rocky River cracks the top five with three wins, and GLC foe Bay jumps three spots to No. 6 after going 2-1. ... Columbia’s loss to Oberlin drops the Raiders to seventh and Olmsted Falls goes all the way to No. 9 after losing its only game to No. 8 Avon Lake. Note: Records as of Sept. 18.
had seven. Voss added 27 assists.
The Comets beat Westlake (8-5, 7-2), 3-0, Sept. 19.
Winning Warriors
Fairview is rebounding from an injury-ridden 2016 season in a big way.
The Warriors are 11-2 on the season and 7-0 in the Patriot Athletic Conference after their most recent win over Oberlin on Sept. 18.
And, after finishing in fourth place in the Stripes Division in 2016, Fairview is ranked No. 1 ahead of last season’s co-champion Lutheran West (7-4, 5-2) and Brooklyn (9-4, 5-2).
“It’s definitely our team chemistry,” senior Hannah Minnich said after a 3-0 win at Lutheran West Sept. 12. “I know in previous years we weren’t really as close as we are now, but it’s how humble we are.
“We’re super excited and we are super confident.”
Not only has Fairview cruised through the first half of the season, but out of seven conference games, the Warriors have lost just two sets, including most recently in the 3-1 Oberlin win — their first PAC set lost in September.
The other was on Aug. 31 against Brookside in which Fairview won, 3-1.
“They have a little bit of confidence,” coach Ellie Caldwell said with a laugh after the Lutheran West game, “a little bit of confidence and they believe they can do it.”
Having a generally healthy team has been a key to the Warriors’ success, and Caldwell credited Minnich and others for stepping up this season.
“For sure, it’s been Hannah Minnich, Olivia Hanton, my libero, Emma Szoradi, my setter, is doing a lights-out job for us as well,” Caldwell said.
Prior to the Oberlin game, Minnich led the team with 102 kills (3.1 kills/set) and added 86 digs. In 34 sets, Hanton has 17 aces and 124 digs, and Szoradi has 13 aces, 124 digs and 307 assists (9.0 assists/set) — good for fourth-best in the Morning Journal area.
Fairview travels to Brooklyn to face the thirdplace Hurricanes Sept. 19.
Coaches poll
The Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association poll for Week 2 was released Sept. 18.
Amherst was the only Morning Journal area team to make the cut, moving up six spots from last week’s ranking to No. 12 in Division I.
The Comets picked up wins over North Olmsted and previously ranked Avon (20) last week.
Ursuline Academy is this week’s top-ranked team in D-I, Padua is No. 1 in D-II, Coldwater No. 1 in D-III and St. Paul (Norwalk) No. 1 in D-IV.
Notable performances
• Oberlin totaled 49 kills and 60 digs in its Sept. 14 win over Brooklyn.
Junior Karissa Rankin led the Phoenix with 15 kills and 11 digs and sophomore Kayliana Barbee had 11 kills.
Mar’Reiyonna Froust added 20 digs and Lauren Sands had 21 assists and 11 digs. Oberlin is 4-7. • Westlake’s Leah Schmidt had 41 kills on the week in the Demons’ wins over Lakewood and North Ridgeville. The Demons are 8-4. • Jami Turay had 15 kills, Maia Wasuk had 12 and Kara Sullinger nine in North Ridgeville’s loss to Westlake.
Sullinger added 37 assists and 20 digs while Turay added five blocks and 22 digs.
North Ridgeville is 5-7.