At 23-0, Canton has the Wright stuff (28 kills)
As Canton’s undefeated season keeps on going, Jess Wright has been everything the volleyball team needs her to be.
In need of a standout net presence against sixth-seeded Melrose, the No. 3 Bulldogs kept feeding the senior hitter, who finished with 28 kills to just five errors, along with eight digs, a block, and an ace. Canton earned a 25-11, 21-25, 25-22, 2517 Division 2 quarterfinal victory to move to 23-0.
“I honestly could not have asked for a better senior year with this group of girls,” Wright said. “It’s crazy where we have gotten so far, and hope to keep it going.”
Sophomore Erin Bigham (40 assists, 7 digs, 3 blocks) found Wright at the left pin, and she kept finding space to put it down. Wright has come through defensively when needed too, a big reason coach Pat Cawley calls her one of the most underrated players in the state.
“She came out on fire, especially in the first set,” Cawley said of Wright. “It’s hard when they block you two or three times, but she hung in there and was able to find some holes in the block. She was solid the whole match. I cannot say enough about Jess.”
The only players on the roster with significant volleyball experience before high school are freshman Soley Rodriguez Martinez (28 digs, 4 aces, 1 kill) and junior Zoe Scibelli (11 digs, 4 aces, 1 kill). With them patrolling the back row, the Bulldogs can lean on their defense. Division 3 State Wakefield 3, Norwell 1 — Sophomore Mia Kenny (11 kills, 16 digs, 2 aces), senior Savannah Cummings (9 kills, 3 stuff blocks, 3 aces), and senior Lea Carangelo (36 assists, 12 digs) led the No. 7 Warriors (16-7) to a quarterfinal victory, winning the next three sets after dropping the first.
“The combination of consistency and aggressiveness, and with the serving, it’s hard to beat,” said coach Kayla Wyland. “The ability to battle back without playing safe, they stayed aggressive. We talk about being smart, not safe. Keep hammering down even when we’re on our heels.”
Though the Warriors dropped their first set since Oct. 26, Maddie Keohane (23 digs) kept the tempo steady and played well in serve receive to help the team come back. After making their first quarterfinals in team history, Wakefield is heading to its first semifinal.
Division 4 State Ipswich 3, Hamilton-Wenham 1 — Tess O’Flynn (16 assists, 20 digs, 3 aces) and Alex Marino (14 assists, 12 digs) ran the passing game in a quarterfinal victory for the top-seeded Tigers (21-0). Claire Buletza notched 16 kills and 13 digs and Emily Hannibal racked up 14 digs, 5 assists, and 3 aces. Ipswich faces No. 4 Hudson (20-3) in a semifinal Wednesday at Tewksbury.
Division 5 State
Mt. Greylock 3, St. John Paul II 0 — Seniors Celina Savage (12 kills, 2 aces), Julia DeChaine (8 kills), and Jackie Brannan (5 aces, 2 kills) led the offense for the top-seeded Mounties (22-0) in a quarterfinal win. Junior Kylie Sweren (28 assists, 6 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks) added an all-around effort, as the team looks to return to the final.