The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Gilmour bows out in state semifinals
Bishop Fenwick will play for Division II state title
Gilmour made its first trip to the state final four in Division II, and fell one set shy of playing for its first title since 2015.
FAIRBORN >> Gilmour made its first trip to the state final four as a Division II program, and fell one set shy of playing for its first championship since 2015.
The Lancers led after three sets before No. 1-ranked Bishop Fenwick overcame a late deficit to even the match, then pulled away in the latter half of the fifth set to defeat No. 7 Gilmour, 3-2, at Wright State on Nov. 7.
The Falcons advanced to the D-II state final against Sparta Highland on Nov. 9.
Bishop Fenwick trailed, 17-14, in the fourth set after Brinn MacLellan’s kill. The Falcons scored eight of the next nine points to restore their energy, and proceeded to even the match, 25-23.
The Lancers opened an early lead before Bishop Fenwick tied the fifth set, 8-8, then opened a 12-9 edge. The Falcons advanced to the state final, 15-12.
Gilmour coach Danny Coughlin lamented the Lancers’ energy in the match’s final two sets.
“We needed to stay aggressive,” Coughlin said. “One of the things I believe and one of the things I’ve told these guys is 80 percent of the time, the aggressor always wins. We got un-aggressive late in that fourth set and that’s when they made their run back.” Bishop Fenwick senior Julia Gardon tallied a match-high 22 kills while Elizabeth Hoerlein added 13. Libero Bella DeSalvo recorded 23 digs and setter Grace Maziar doled out 48 assists.
“It wasn’t a whole lot of highs and lows,” Coach Tyler Conley said. “They kept doing their job, they kept trusting their teammates
and that’s what mattered in that moment. We knew that if we kept pushing, at some point someone’s going to break. It hasn’t been us all year long.”
Eleven errors hampered Gilmour in the first set as Bishop Fenwick rode Gardon’s six kills to a 25-16 victory.
The Lancers cleaned up their play in the second set and opened a 12-6 lead early after a kill from Anna Rarick. The Falcons closed within three, 20-17, when Jocelyn Carter and Kathryn Randorf responded with kills out of a timeout to spark a 5-0 run that allowed Gilmour to tie the match, 25-17.
The Lancers’ momentum carried into the third set, where they took control midway through. Rarick tied the set, 11-11, then two hitting errors
gave Gilmour a lead it didn’t relinquish. Bishop Fenwick cut the Lancers’ lead to one before Rarick swung off the Falcons’ block and a double hit gave Gilmour a 25-22 victory. When Bishop Fenwick found its stride in the fourth set, the Falcons’ momentum carried into the final set where it was abetted by three unscrupulous officiating decisions.
Randorf led the Lancers with 22 kills while MacLellan and Rarick finished
with 11 apiece. Junior libero Emmy Klika led Gilmour with 28 digs and junior setter Ava Nestor finished with 49 assists.
Gilmour concluded the season 21-7 and will return every player from its 2019 roster, save for senior defensive specialist Katelyn Hanchin, to next year’s team.
“They had a lot of great hitters that challenged us for the entire match,” MacLellan said. “I didn’t for a second doubt our talent.”