A new chapter is unfolding for Chardon and its conference opponent, Eastlake North. Both teams are new under coaches this fall, and both are playing their final seasons in the Western Reserve Conference before switching to the Chagrin Valley Conference next year.
Match photos click here.
A new chapter is unfolding for Chardon and its conference opponent, Eastlake North. Both teams are new under coaches this fall, and both are playing their final seasons in the Western Reserve Conference before switching to the Chagrin Valley Conference next year.
As they faced each other Sept. 11, North Head Coach Vance Kalingo, in his first year, and Chardon Head Coach Mackenzie Dolejs were both searching for their first conference win of the season and in their careers. Dolejs’ crew had suffered a sweep against their rival Willoughby South, while the Hilltoppers and Kalingo pushed Riverside to the edge, losing 3-1 to start conference play.
Kalingo is the Toppers’ third coach in the last four seasons.
Chardon’s Madison Kilpeck talked about the importance of sticking together and being adaptable to
the coaching changes.
“With the coaching transitions, we are always trying to be open and accept them,” she
said. “Everyone has different coaching styles, but we are really working on senior leadership and
adjusting to the new coaching style.”
It was a quick 5-0 start for the visiting Rangers, who looked to achieve something
they were unable to do last season: take a set from the Hilltoppers. In a slow start for the
Hilltoppers, they seemed out of rhythm, recording three hitting errors in the first four
points. The Rangers would capitalize on some quick sets out of the middle blocker position for
senior Morgan Petrecca, and she and her teammates would take the opening set 25-18.
With seven hitting errors in the first set, the Hilltoppers needed to get back to their aggressive play and
challenge the Rangers’ defense. All areas of the game quickly started to click for the Hilltoppers, then, as they returned the favor and jumped out to a 10-5 lead.
Behind the service line, senior outside hitter Addison Koppelman recorded six aces and grew a 14-6 lead. Back-to-back blocks from Koppelman and senior middle blocker Aubrey Fetchik forced the Rangers, trailing 22-8, to call their second time out. And Fetchik finished the set with a kill out of the middle, evening the match up at one set apiece.
The Hilltoppers won set two in commanding fashion, 25-9.
“We were trying to come back from our past losses in the last few games, and come out strong and have a lot of energy,” said Kilpeck, a senior setter who entered the contest with 68 assists, a team-high.
In set three, senior Grace Piercy from North got the Rangers on the board first with a kill down the line, but Kilpeck also got the offense going early while spreading the wealth. A kill from Fetchik on the slide, then a kill from Koppelman out of the back row, forced the Rangers to call their first time out of the third set, trailing 12-7. Finally, a block from freshman Reese Regovich and senior middle blocker Kenzie Siko ended the third set 25-13.
When the Hilltoppers were in system, their offense seemed nearly impossible to stop. All the
momentum seemed to be on the home team’s side after two dominating performances in sets two
and three.
A quick 5-0 lead for the Hilltoppers helped them control the fourth and final set, 25-22, after a late surge from the Rangers. Senior Kayla Leslie finished the match with a kill down the line.
With eight seniors on their roster, the Hilltoppers are familiar with how to close out close sets and matches, and this was no different.
“Even though we didn’t win against Riverside, we were still trying to be positive,” Kilpeck said. “We
knew we had North coming in, and we were trying hard to not let the loss affect us too much.”
