Mount Academy triumphs in regional
Eagles sweep Tuckahoe to earn berth in state final four
Mount Academy’s first-year volleyball program is headed to the state final four.
The (16-2) Eagles earned their berth Friday night with a 25-11, 25-8, 25-6 victory over Section 1 champion Tuckahoe in a Class D regional final.
“I’m very happy for the team. Everybody did a great job,” Eagles coach Sandy Mancuso-Lopez said.
Mount Academy will be heading to the Glens Falls Civic Center next weekend for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament. Semifinal pool play is scheduled to start 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. The top two advance to the championship match 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 18.
Cayla Boller (17 kills, two digs, five service points with one ace) and Vera Tietze (10 kills, two blocks, one block) led the Eagles at the net. Adela Blough quarter-
backed the team, distributing 30 assists while also having six digs and 14 service points with three aces.
Mount Academy had 15 aces overall, including six from Skylar Arnold and four by Kaitlyn Arnold, who combined for 20 service points.
Kaitlyn Arnold also had four kills, two assists and two digs, while Skylar Arnold had two kills and six digs. Sharon Hofer (eight digs, 10 points with one ace)
also had a big match. Maura Maendel (four kills, two digs) and Brianne Moore (two digs, three points) also contributed.
“This is great. Considering, at the beginning of the season, we didn’t know if we were going to be a junior varsity or varsity,” Lopez said. “Things developed. I saw that we had an offense.”
Playing against mostly larger schools all season, Lopez was optimistic about her squad.
“I saw the possibilities,” she said. “Seeing them hang with those teams, it was encouraging.”