Clymer sweeps Hornets
Pirates have little trouble with Forestville in Division 4
P-J photo by Christian Storms Clymer's Keira Kinal attempts a hit past Forestville's Alana Emke, center, and Eliana Cross, right, in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 4 volleyball action on Tuesday.
P-J photo by Christian Storms Clymer's Alyssa Pratt makes a pass during Tuesday's match.
P-J photo by Christian Storms Clymer's Mikaela Jackson goes up for a spike during Tuesday's match.
P-J photo by Christian Storms Clymer's Harleigh Faulkner makes a hit during Tuesday's match.
P-J photo by Christian Storms Clymer's Keira Kinal attempts a hit past Forestville's Alana Emke, center, and Eliana Cross, right, in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 4 volleyball action on Tuesday.
P-J photo by Christian Storms Clymer's Alyssa Pratt makes a pass during Tuesday's match.
P-J photo by Christian Storms Clymer's Mikaela Jackson goes up for a spike during Tuesday's match.
P-J photo by Christian Storms Clymer's Harleigh Faulkner makes a hit during Tuesday's match.
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CLYMER -- It took about halfway through the first set for Clymer to find its rhythm against Forestville in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 4 volleyball action Tuesday night.
Trailing 12-9, Clymer struck gold at the service line with runs of four, seven and four again to eventually pull past the Hornets 25-17 with eight aces in the opening set.
That momentum carried the Pirates to a sweep of 25-17, 25-21, 25-10.
"I think it went well," Clymer co-head coach Trudy Malecki said about the match. "I think the girls communicated well on the floor, they worked well together. We were able to get all of our girls in tonight so we had different girls out there, but they all worked well."
Forestville started strong in the opening set and was even able to string together some runs, but once the momentum was gone the contest began slipping away.
"Volleyball is a game of emotion," Forestville head coach Ryanne Dugan said. "It's a game of energy and when one side has that more than the other, typically the side that has it is going to win."
Both offenses struggled in the second set and it was Clymer making fewer mistakes to slowly establish a lead. Then, when the Pirates led 20-19, they put the set out of reach with a four-point run and claimed the 25-21 victory.
"Our serves were a little better tonight, but we have been struggling with them," Clymer co-head coach Sabrina Pierce stated.
"We do practice it a lot," Malecki added about the serving. "A lot of serve receive in practice and we have them practice serves a lot."
The Forestville effort was led by Olivia Valentine with an ace, two kills and eight digs; Liz Case had five aces, six assists, one block and two digs; and Alana Emke provided three kills, two digs and three blocks.
"I think this season we've come out pretty good," Dugan said. "Today was obviously not the result we wanted, but it gave us a good look at some things we need to work on at practice."
The second set essentially sealed the match for Clymer as it dominated the third with all of the momentum.
"It definitely keeps the team morale up," Malecki said about momentum on the side of the Pirates. "The girls get excited, we try to keep the energy up on the floor to keep the flow going."
"Energy is huge for us," Pierce added. "We tell them they've got to keep their energy up and it helps the morale."
The Pirates dominated from the service line again with nine aces: two from Mikaela Jackson, three from Alyssa Pratt, two from Harleigh Faulkner and two from Brooke White. Runs of five, six, six and then four made for an efficient 25-10 victory.
"Clymer is a great team, they have gone to sectionals the last two years," Dugan stated. "If you're going to come into their gym you have to be ready to play and you have to step up to that level. I think it's a good test early on in the season, especially in their house. We struggled with serve receive, they're a good serving team, they are going to score their own points and we just can't give them extra points."