The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Pirates are relying on fast offense
With less than two weeks left in the regular season, Rocky River is playing every bit like defending Great Lakes Conference champions. But it’s been a much tougher journey than the team had anticipated when the year began.
Injuries and graduation left the Pirates looking to fill quite a few holes offensively, including last season’s area setting leader, Callie Cmiel, who finished 2017 averaging 10.2 assists per set — the only setter in the area who averaged 10plus assists per set during the regular season.
A mid-season injury to libero Raygan Murray, who was sidelined with a concussion, created even more challenges for Rocky River (11-6, 8-1 GLC), which entered the season hoping to defend its first conference championship in 31 years.
“It’s definitely not what we expected, but we’re adapting well to it and I think we’ve started to overcome those challenges, especially with the injuries,” senior Ava Rauser said. “We’re definitely overcoming those obstacles, and I think it’s just taking some time to get into the complete groove of it.”
Rauser has been the key to the Rocky River offense since joining the team as a freshman. In 38 sets, the 6-foot-1 middle hitter is averaging 3.5 kills per set (133 total) and has 36 blocks (12 solo) and 771 kills in her career for a 3.0 average.
This season, however, the Pirates have found offensive success in other areas. Fellow senior Olivia Young currently leads the team, averaging 4.1 kills per set, and sisters Rachel and Paige Waite add 1.9 and 1.1, respectively, taking some of the pressure off Rauser, who is bound for Harvard next year.
“We’re really working on going faster and running a fast tempo because it gives us an edge over some competitors,” Rauser said.
That fast tempo starts with setter Marissa Smiley, who moved from playing as a defensive specialist to running the offense after Cmiel’s graduation last year.
“Our goal in every game is to speed up our tempo, which comes from me getting our hitters set up right and just making sure they’re set up to get a good hit,” Smiley said. “But it all comes from me, from the sets, and when that happens that’s when we succeed the most.”
Prior to this season, Smiley hadn’t set competitively in nearly two years. After a discussion with coach Karlee Bruck, the two decided shifting the senior into the setting position would be the best move for the team.
So far it seems to have worked.
Smiley is among the top setters in the area, averaging 9.2 assists per set, and has found success spreading the ball around while the Pirates work to maintain a faster than average tempo.
“Of course there’s off games and on games, but when I feel the hitters are producing, I feel like I’m succeeding more,” Smiley said. “I definitely know when I’m off, but from the beginning of the season to now, it’s a ton better. I’m more comfortable in setting everyone on the court, not just specific hitters. The tempo is better from me, and I think we’ve gotten more successful since the beginning.”
The Pirates may have gotten off to a slower than normal start but, with two GLC games left on the schedule, are in prime position to walk away with at least a share of the title if they can find a way to beat first-place Holy Name before closing out with Normandy.
The key, however, will be running that fast offense that seems to baffle many of its opponents.
“When we can run a fast offense, we can beat almost any team off the floor, which helps us a lot,” Rauser said. “That and communication. When we communicate well, that’s when we win. And if we don’t, it’s not usually our best game.”