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Darien's volleyball team doesn't get rattled easily. That's part of the reason why it's won 19 league championships, 56 straight matches and 11 consecutive Class L state championships.
The Blue Wave faced a gallant Staples squad Wednesday in Westport and emerged with a 3-0 victory. The Blue Wave (7-0) earned it, especially after surviving a first-game marathon, 32-30. Darien jumped to early leads in each of the next two games and cruised, 25-15 and 25-14.
"I don't know if I've ever been in a game that was that intense,'' Darien captain Mackenzie Begley said. "It was back and forth the whole way. We weren't going to give up, that's for sure."
Staples jumped out to an early 8-5 lead in the opening game before Darien took its first lead, 10-9. The game stayed close the rest of the way, with neither side building anything bigger than a two-point lead. Darien had four chances at set point, and Staples had three. The Blue Wave finally converted with Emma Getsinger on the service line.
Getsinger had a huge game, contributing 13 kills, 12 service points, four aces and seven digs. Charlett Stevenson added 11 kills and seven service points, while Begley dished out 30 assists and contributed eight service points. Riley Sousa had 12 digs and five service points.
Begley says Darien knew Staples would come out firing. Competition, however, only fuels the team's intensity. "We work hard every day,'' Begley said. "We don't know about all the teams out there. We come in prepared for any situation."
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