The Western Reserve Conference has always been competitive on the volleyball court. This fall season has been no different.
Game photos click here.
The Western Reserve Conference has always been competitive on the volleyball court. This fall season has been no different.
After losing their top attacker in Emma McCartney, the Hilltoppers have had to rearrange their starting lineup. Much of that offense has come from the arms of seniors Skylar Toth and Jenna Hendricks.
Riverside Head Coach Jess Marut and company entered The Barn looking to pick up their first win against the Hilltoppers since 2020. The Beavers came into the contest Sept. 26 on a three-game winning streak, while the Hilltoppers were looking to get things started, having won only one of their last three games.
Sarah Fulton recorded the first kill of the match, with a quick set out of the middle from Courtney Johnson to put the Beavers on the scoreboard first. Junior Lainey Mardula returned the favor, recording her first kill when a tip caught the Beavers’ defense sleeping, tying the set at three.
Coach Marut called her first timeout of the contest after her team trailed 15-13. Hendricks recorded her fourth kill of the set right before a net violation was called against her opponent. The set would be tied up again, this time at 15, when Savanah Laurenty picked up a kill.
After back-to-back kills from Laurenty and a 5-3 run by the Beavers, Chardon Head Coach Alison Fisher asked for her first timeout of the night.
A hitting error, followed by two aces registered by Johnson, would allow the Beavers to take set one, 25-18.
The Hilltoppers jumped out to a 2-0 lead to begin the second set. Chardon forced Marut and team to call a timeout after tying the set at seven. From there, the Hilltoppers would go on a 3-0 run, and record an ace from sophomore setter Abby Kolcum and a kill by Mallorie Flick, who found an open spot on the court.
Chardon went up 9-7 early in the second set.
“I think we did a really good job of carrying our momentum from the second set to the third,” Hendricks said, “but as it went on, we lost our energy and didn’t really play like ourselves.”
The Hilltoppers built a four-point lead, 20-16, before Riverside called a timeout to talk things over. It was then that the Beavers revamped their offense and got middle hitter Riley Horvat involved.
Horvat recorded 15 kills in the 3-1 win over the Hilltoppers. In 33 total attempts, she committed just two errors.
The Hilltoppers took set two, 25-22, after halting a run from the Beavers late in the set. Toth ended the set with an ace.
To start the third set, it was all Chardon. A 7-1 start would put the Beavers in trouble, forcing Marut to call her first timeout of the set. Then a balanced offense on the fingertips of Johnson resulted in an 8-2 Beavers run.
“It is part of the setters job to make us better as hitters,” Horvat said. “Courtney and I have a great connection. That comes from having trust in each other.”
After a come-from-behind win from Marut and her team in the third set, 25-19, the Beavers won the fourth set, 25-15, to take the match, 3-1.
“I always remind them to keep the goal in mind,” Marut said. “They needed to prove to themselves that they can stay consistent throughout the entire match.”
Marut prepared her team well for the matchup against the Hilltoppers, in particular, the offense that the Hilltoppers ran.
“The major focus is always on us as a team,” Marut said. “The team has come up with three non-negotiables: play as a team, mental toughness and heart.
“Looking at Chardon, they run a six-two, so hitting to zone one and taking the setter out was a priority. We shifted our block to front their pin hitters and blocked the line, which forced them to hit cross into our defense — all while successfully controlling the pace of the game with our speed and power.”
The Beavers’ defense forced the Hilltoppers into eight total team blocks. Senior libero Brianna Herman recorded a team-high 24 digs, while Savanah Laurenty led the way with 19 kills. Johnson dished out 38 assists.
With the win, the Beavers improved to 10-2, before losing to Kenston two nights later.
“It would be amazing (if we won the conference),” Horvat said. “That is a goal of ours as a team, getting back to Riverside traditions. It would also help our seedings going into playoffs.”
“We’ve had a few injuries and illnesses, so our lineup has been jumbled up and mixed around,” Toth said. “And we’ve been bringing up some underclassmen who have been playing really well. We do our best to give them the confidence they need to play varsity level. They are starting to pick up on that, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
