After playing a memorable five-setter last year, the stage appeared to be set for a replay Wednesday between the Westhill and Trinity Catholic volleyball teams. This time, however, the Vikings took control early and dominated the Crusaders to win, 3-0. The game scores were 25-8, 25-20, and 25-16.
"You know in a city game it's always going to be competitive,'' Westhill coach Ali Walsh said after her team improved to 5-6. ""We worked a lot of on our serves at practice, and that was the difference today."
Anne Hawthorn delivered 23 service points and five kills for Westhill. Jess Thibault contributed four kills, and Rachel D'Amico had five. Felicia Kazantidis had eight digs, and Allie Schechter had 20 service points.
Westhill set the tone in the opening game, taking an 11-3 lead. Hawthorn took over from there, reeling off seven straight service points as the Vikings went up 20-4. She finished off the first game with a kill.
The second and third games followed familiar patterns. Westhill built a lead, and Trinity tried to respond. After trailing by as many as eight points in the second game, Trinity got within three before falling short. In the third game, Westhill again built an eight-point lead before the Crusaders got within three at 16-13. Westhill scored six of the next seven points and was not threatened again.
Maya Ferguson had 11 digs and four kills for Trinity (2-10), while Ali Palma had seven kills and two blocks. Caitlin Ornousky added 11 digs, and Christina Gaudiano had 16 assists.
"We'd get a couple of points and then give the ball back,'' Trinity coach Craig Pucci said. "There's not team we can let get ahead of us by five, six or seven points and expect to come back."
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