The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Pirates fall to Holy Name in district championship
Rocky River’s Rauser had a team-high 17 kills and five blocks
Rocky River brought all the energy and intensity to its heated rivalry with Holy Name, but was overwhelmed in the fourth set. The Pirates lost, 3-1, Oct. 27 in the Division II Parma Heights District final against their Great Lakes Conference foe.
The teams have gotten to know each other extremely well, especially over the past
two seasons in which they’ve faced each other seven times including the latest postseason meeting, and it’s fostered one of the best rivalries in the conference as the team’s shared the league title last season before Holy Name captured it outright this year.
The top-seeded Green Wave completed the season sweep, however, when they won backto-back sets after No. 3 Rocky River (16-8) tied the match, 1-1.
The first three sets were decided by four points or less and it seemed to be anyone’s championship to win as the match headed to a fourth set. But the Pirates agreed perhaps their emotions got the best of them and a slow start doomed them and despite clawing its way back, Holy Name won, 2518, to beat Rocky River for the third time this year.
“I think we were all very anxious that it could be the last set,” senior Olivia Young said. “The nerves started getting in the way, but once we started getting our rhythm it got back on track.
“It was a little too late, but we wanted to go out playing well, at least. That was the main goal. No matter win or lose, we wanted to feel good about the way we played and I think we achieved that.”
No matter the outcome of the regular-season matches, Holy Name coach Megan Green knew it would be a hard-fought match even though on paper it looked like the third-ranked Green Wave could sweep the Pirates off the court.
With its uptempo offense and a back court anchored by Seton Hall commit Raygan Murray, Rocky River is a constant threat regardless of the score. Green said she and her team had to game plan around a defense that manages to pick up every ball, not to mention figure out a way to slow down 6-foot-1 middle hitter Ava Rauser.
“They probably know us better than any team we’ve ever played against and that’s why I think it’s so tough to come in here and get that win, but at the same time, we know them, too,” Green said.
“They have great defense. Raygan’s a great libero, and obviously Ava, she’s a complete threat when she’s up there in the front row so our main tactic was to really shut her down, and I think that opened up a lot of possibilities for us.”
There’s no “shutting down” a player like Rauser, but challenging her in the middle forced the Pirates to turn to other options offensively, slowing down an otherwise fast-paced front court.
Rauser had a team-high 17 kills and five blocks while Young added 15 kills and three blocks from the outside. Setter Marissa Smiley contributed 34 assists.
Holy Name, however, saw kills from five players while setter Abriana Marchetta totaled 50 assists. Kayla Jarosz had a game-high 23 kills and Zelie Kessler followed with 13 for the Green Wave.
Holy Name travels to Lexington Nov. 1 to face Oak Harbor, winner of the Findlay district, in a D-II regional semifinal match.