Schools
Girls Volleyball: Clippers Soar Past the Falcons
Cumberland defeats Cranston West 3-1 on West's senior night.
The Division II North leading Cumberland Clippers (12-2 in league play) visited Cranston West (4-10, sixth place in Division I North) on Friday night in a girls volleyball match. It was senior night for the Falcons and before the match their seniors were honored. Cumberland dropped the first game, but rebounded to win three in a row, winning the match 3-1.
In the first game, Cranston West held an early 3-2 advantage. Midway through the game, Cumberland's 8-2 run gave them a 14-7 lead.
The Falcons slowly chipped away at their deficit and trailed 21-16 late in the game. A 9-2 run to end the game gave West a 25-23 game one victory.
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Cumberland dominated the second game from start to finish. They were able to build a 18-7 lead and never looked back. The Clippers won the second game 25-12, evening the match at one game apiece.
Cranston West regrouped and early in the third game had a 11-4 lead. The Clippers kept on clawing away at the lead and eventually tied it at 14, finishing off a 10-3 run. However, Cumberland could not gain the lead for the majority of the game.
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Trailing 23-21, Cumberland scored the game's final four points, taking their first lead of the third game at 24-23. The end of this game proved to be the turning point in the match and a confidence booster for the Clippers.
The Falcons only lead in the fourth game was 8-7. Cumberland controlled the rest of the game, and despite a valiant effort by West, held on for the 25-19 victory, winning the match three games to one.
"I have never seen my team be as scrappy as they were tonight and they showcased it at a perfect time," Cumberland's coach, Sherri Heard, said. "It was one of our best overall matches of the season," she added.
Clippers senior Micaela Leblanc led the team with 28 digs and 14 kills. Co-Captain Michelle Malboeuf had 22 digs, 9 kills, and 4 aces.
The Falcons were led by sophomore Courtney Lambrese, who notched 9 kills. Senior Emily Tilton had an impressive performance in her final home game, with 10 digs. Junior Carlotta Trapassi led the team with 12 digs.
