Gilmour advances, others fall in regionals

The Lancers swept Revere in the Division II Stow Regional to set up a match against Lake Catholic. Other area entries Riverside, Berkshire and Newbury fell in their semifinals.

STOW >> Richfield Revere won 22 of its 25 matches prior to a Division II Stow regional semifinal against Gilmour Nov. 1.

At 13-12, Lancers head coach Danny Coughlin was confident Gilmour possessed an array of weapons unfamiliar to the Minutemen.

“They’re used to winning all year long,” Coughlin said. “You’ve got to give them credit for that. But I also don’t think they’ve

seen the speed, the size and the versatility that we have.”

Gilmour proceeded to sweep Revere, 3-0, at StowMunroe Falls High School. Although Coughlin admitted the Lancers didn’t play their best, he was encouraged they were able to weather close games.

Gilmour advances to the D-II Stow regional final Nov. 3 against Lake Catholic at 2 p.m. The Lancers will play for their first state qualification as a D-II member.

Gilmour took the first set, 25-21, won the second, 25-22, and capped the match with a 25-21 win in the third set.

Sophomore middle hitter Brinn MacLellan finished with nine kills and three blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Jocelyn Carter added eight kills. Alongside Kathryn Randorf, Caroline Rarick and Morgan Mueller, the Lancers’ versatility allowed them to outlast Revere.

“We know we have a lot of options on our side of the court,” MacLellan said, “so if they get a good swing, we know we have five different people who can do the same thing or maybe even better, back.”

Senior setter Megan Brzozowski added seven kills alongside 19 assists and four aces. Libero Kenzie O’Connor picked up 24 digs.

“Playing a team like us, it’s challenging,” Coughlin said. “There’s too many weapons. It’s middle, middle, outside, outside, opposite, opposite. Then Megan can turn on any ball at any time.”

A strong service run by Reegan Clark helped the Lancers take control in the final moments of the first set. Gilmour pulled away midway through the second set and led, 16-11, after MacLellan’s kill. Revere rallied to tie the set, 21-21, before Carter put the game away.

The Minutemen led, 2018, late in the third set. Brzozowski tied the set with an ace and the Lancers scored five of the next six points to end the match on Carter’s point.

Coughlin called timeout when Gilmour trailed late and challenged the Lancers to prevent an extension of the match.

“It didn’t matter that we had two more sets,” MacLellan said, “we could’ve gone to five. We knew we had to take that set and finish it there because that meant more for the games coming up.”

Brzozowski credited her younger teammates for closing out sets.

“It’s not like, ‘all right, they’re younger, we can make exceptions for them,’” Brzozowski said. “It’s no exceptions anymore. You have this experience, we’re going to play together as a team.”