Wreckers refuse to get stung
Staples holds off East Hartford Hornets to advance to finals
SHELTON — The Staples boys volleyball had lost just two sets all season.
So when fourth- seeded East Hartford came back from an early 7- 2 deficit in the first game of Monday’s Class L semifinals, the top- seeded and undefeated Wreckers were a little shell- shocked.
Led by a group of strong seniors, however, the Wreckers righted the ship and went on to post a 3- 1 ( 17- 25, 25- 10, 25- 11, 25- 22) victory over the Hornets.
The win puts Staples into the state’s big school championship game against Ridgefield on Thursday back at the Shelton High Gym.
“I think it was just nerves,” Staples coach Dan Cho said. “A new gym, a team we haven’t faced. It was just one of those things. It felt like my boys were trying to figure them out as quickly as possible and adjust on the defensive end.”
While the Wreckers did take an early lead, the Hornets stormed back to quickly take control of that first game and prove it wasn’t intimidated by Staples.
“I thought we neutralized their offense in the first set,” East Hartford coach Martin Martinez said. “I thought our moment would carry over into the second set, but it didn’t. They made adjustments in the second and third set that we did not.”
Once the Wreckers adjusted, the rolled to wins in games two and three to take a 2- 1 lead into the fourth.
“It was exciting coming in because its not very often we play a new team with guys we haven’t played before,” said Staples senior Stedman van Arsdale. “There is an upside and downside. We decided to feel them out and we were down and rattled, but we came together in the second set and showed what we can do.”
ONE MORE COMEBACK
East Hartford again founds it groove and battled tough, looking to force a fifth and final game.
The Hornets led 17- 12 late before the Wreckers storming back again.
Two big blocks by van Arsdale allowed Staples to close the gap to 17- 15.
Later in the match a kill by Logan Carstens and an ace by Luke Press tied the match at 20- 20.
East Hartford scored the next two points before the Wreckers ran the table, ending the match on a van Arsdale kill into the middle of the floor.
The win puts Staples into the state’s big school championship game against Ridgefield on Thursday back at the Shelton High Gym.
“I just told my captains, whose going to start the fire and each of them stepped up,” said Cho, singling out van Arsdale, Press, libero Sam Greenberg and William Hotch. “All of them hard a part in that moment.”
Van Arsdale led Staples with 17 kills, 10 digs and six blocks. Press added nine kills and 10 digs while Carstens tallied 33 assists, seven kills and five digs. Greenberg had 13 digs.
PLAY OF THE GAME
In the fourth set, as Staples was going back, Press was forced to chase down a ball heading toward the sideline near the net.
Without looking, he bumped the ball back over his head—Staples third and final hit of the rally-almost parallel with the net, onto East Hartford’s side of the court.
The play kept alive a point Staples would win.
“I just didn’t want the ball to drop, so I just kind of prayed,” Press said. “It was hard for me to see. I just looked back and saw it going straight over.”
“That was big spot in the game,” Cho admitted.
QUOTABLE
“They were more disciplined than us and it showed,” Martinez said of Staples. “They kept their composure and came out with the win.”