Cabrini’s lady Cavaliers volleyball team swept the Neumann Knights in a 4-1 match, winning the CSAC championship on Saturday, Nov. 9. All of the girls played an ambitious and aggressive game, but it truly came down to their passionate fundamentals that led them to victory.
Within the first five minutes the score was 8-5 due to Cabrini’s setter Cassidy Koenig, who had 33 excellent assists, and teammate and outside hitter Jen Grenauer, followed with hard spikes.
Senior middle back teammate Michele Fitz also worked to hold two great blocks.
Unfortunately with only one more point left to go within the first game, the lady Cavs fell to the Knights in a long volley that finished in three-point lead of 25-22.
With great effort and supportive cheers from both the stands and their bench, Cabrini’s lady Cavs, from the start of the second game, came out on top.
Hustling after every set to get into position and play defense, Sophia Sokolovich with 17 digs, Kelly Guarino with 15 digs, Michele Fitz with 11 kills, Jen Grenauer with nine kills and a season high of three total blocks and Danielle Carrozza with 15 kills and 12 digs, all worked together to continue scoring as much as possible.
Blocks by both Grenauer and Fitz shook the Knights up, pushing their team to work even harder against both Cabrini’s offense and defense.
As Cabrini’s defense continued to play strong, unfortunately Neumann’s captain and setter Ashley Clark fell and had to leave the game due to a knee injury.
Following a timeout, the Knights led with a three point lead over the lady Cavs when a hard spike smacked the ground by Carrozza and the girls rose to her spirits by taking the lead ending the second match with a win of 25-18.
8-6 the girls led by two within the first ten minutes of the third match. With only four more points to go into their third match, Neumann called another timeout. Following that timeout, Cabrini won the third match to a 25-16 lead.
In the last and final match Fitz came out prepared to win the CSAC Championship as she had impeccable blocks. Seniors Sokolovich, Kristy Riley, Fitz, and Carrozza essentially pushed their teammates to go for the gold.
Carrozza was named 2013 CSAC Player of the Year and Sokolovich was named Most Valuable Player both great Cabrini assets that led to the win and title of the CSAC Champion and will automatically play in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
