Schools
Girls Volleyball: Ponaganset Defeats Cranston West in Three Straight
After a tight game one, Ponaganset limits its errors and rolls to a 3-0 sweep.
The Falcons played a scrappy match and almost captured game one, but the high powered offense of the Chieftains, precisely orchestrated by setter Taylor Stevens, was too much for Cranston West to handle on Thursday.
Ponaganset jumped out to an early 8-2 lead in game one with solid serving from Captain Sarah Gates, who mixed in an ace on her six-point run. Courtney Salisbury stopped the bleeding for the Falcons with a big kill, and with a little help from some errors by the Chieftains, they were able whittle down the lead and tied the score at 9-9.
Miranda Rayner propelled the Chieftains to a four point lead with back to back kills, making it 16-12 Ponaganset. But Samantha Wheeler would counter with some big swings for Cranston West and the Falcons took a one point lead at 20-19.
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Miscommunication on consecutive plays for the Chieftains would give West a 23-21 lead. But Senior Captain Erica Blais responded on a quick set, putting it straight down, keeping Ponaganset in the game. the Chieftains regained control and Miranda Rayner ended the game, hitting through the block giving Ponaganset a 26-24 game one victory.
The Falcons got out to an early lead in game two, but the Chieftains offense caught fire and built a 8-point lead, one which they would not surrender, as they cruised to a 25-19 win in game two. Sarah Gates and Erica Blais were instrumental for the Chieftains with six kills.
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Game three was tight up until double digits, but Ponaganset went on a 5-point run, and then an 8-point run, as they carved up Cranston West in game three, 25-14. Ponaganset is now 7-3 and in third place in Division I.
Cranston West falls to 3-7 on the season, but has started to become more consistent all around.
"We're more than halfway through the season, but I've finally got a rotation I'm comfortable with. So I think they're a little more comfortable," Cranston West Coach Thomas Ferri said.
"I'm encouraged because that's a good team. We played right with them. Take away a couple mistakes and we would've taken the first game. And taking the first game would've been big," Ferri said.
Cranston West is now tied with Classical, with only four games remaining, and will face off against undefeated Mount St. Charles on Monday.
