Lady Sabers sweep week on court

BY COREY GESFORD

Correspondent

Susquehanna was the story the first week of the Lackawanna League volleyball season as the Lady Sabers registered three straight wins to open the season.

Susquehanna swept Montrose in straight sets to win their season opener as Mackenzie Rhone led the way with 6 kills and 13 points. Bethany Burns had 19 points and Bethany Maby chipped in with 19 assists.

Grace Aukema led Montrose with five aces and 10 points and Caden Rowe had 15 digs for the Lady Meteors.

Susquehanna rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win the final two games and take their match with Abington Heights, 3-2, behind Chloe Tinklepaugh who finished with 24 points including nine aces and five kills.

Susquehanna jumped out quickly and took the first game from the host Lady Comets 25-16. Abington Heights would counter with back to back wins by scores of 25-16 and 25-19 to seemingly take control of the match. However, Susquehanna clawed back and took the close fourth game 26-24. Seizing that momentum, the Lady Sabers went back and forth with Abington before winning 18-16.

Bethany Maby had 25 assists and 16 points to aid Tinklepaugh, and McKenzie Rhone chipped in with 12 kills to propel Susquehanna.

Susquehanna completed its sweep of the first week of action Friday night when the hosted fellow unbeaten Forest City and quickly sent the Lady Foresters back down Route 171 with a 3-0 sweep.

The Lady Sabers took the first game 25-18 and seized the momentum of the match when they took the hard fought second game 25-23. Susquehanna dominated game three rolling 25-13.

Burns led the way for Susquehanna collecting 18 service points and hammering six kills. Maby had 10 assists and 11 points, and Tinklepaugh registered 16 points, including five aces, and nine digs. Rhone added 14 points to go along with a half dozen kills and digs. 

Lauren Statkun paced Forest City with six assists, five points and five kills. Jordan Coles had five kills and Kara Kelly added seven assists and Faith Ursich had 15 digs.

Blue Ridge opened its season with a 3-0 sweep of Abington Heights at home. The Lady Raiders opened with a 25-19 win in the first game and followed with 25-13 and 25-19 victories to claim the win. Erin Houlihan and Hunter Heeman each had five kills and Brianna Post had 12 assists to lead the way. Jerni Schell had 14 digs and Houlihan contributed five aces for Blue Ridge.

Blue Ridge traveled to Forest City Wednesday evening where an exciting back and forth match saw the Lady Foresters prevail in the match-deciding fifth game 15-10 to take the match.

The host Lady Foresters jumped out on Blue Ridge taking the first game easily 25-10. However, the experienced Lady Raiders bounced back taking game two 25-17. Forest City took the third set 25-21, while Blue Ridge forced a match deciding fifth game with a 25-18 victory in the fourth. Forest City took the final game 15-10.

Coles’ 10 kills and five aces led the way for Forest City. Natalie Lipko chipped in with five kills and Statkun added nine digs.

Blue Ridge swept Lackawanna Trail on Friday night as Mackenzie Cook served up 19 points including five aces as the Lady Raiders won the sets 25-11, 25-15, and 25-10.

Post chipped in with 12 assists and Schell added nine points for Blue Ridge.

Forest City rallied from a 2-1 deficit by taking control of the match in the fourth game and riding the momentum into the fifth to stun Lackawanna Trail 3-2 in their season opener.

After the Lady Lions opened with a 25-21 win, the Lady Foresters breezed to a 25-11 win in game two. However, Trail answered with a close 25-23 in set three and take control of the match and seemed poised for the upset before Forest City rallied to win game four 25-13 and coasting in the deciding game 15-4 to claim the match. Jordan Coles had 10 kills and Kacy Gillette added 10 service points to lead Forest City, and Keanna Savage chipped in with 8 points.

Mountain View edged Elk Lake in the opening game 25-21 and then cruised over the next two sets 25-13 and 25-14 as the Lady Eagles swept Elk Lake 3-0. Caitlyn Williams led the way for Mountain View with 17 service points and 10 assists. Chelsea Rumola and Rachel Gerfin led the attack on the nets with 16 and 7 kills respectively.

Wednesday the Lady Eagles swept Lackawanna Trail behind Maddie Williams’ 12 service points and Tasha Shay’s 11 assists.

Mountain View took the opening game 25-19 and then rolled through the final two sets by the score of 25-12.

Friday night league-favorite Dunmore rolled into Kingsley and the Lady Bucks quickly dispatched the upstart Lady Eagles in three games.

Dunmore jumped out to a 25-15 victory in game one, but Mountain View rallied in game two but fell 25-23. Dunmore closed out the match with a 25-20 victory in game three.

Caitlin Williams had six digs to lead the Lady Eagles and MacKenzie Wilbur registered five kills.

Montrose and Elk Lake found themselves on the wrong end of sweeps Wednesday as Western Wayne stuffed the Lady Metors 3-0 and the Lady Warriors fell to Dunmore.

Western Wayne prevailed in the first game 25-11 and then won the final two sets 25-14. Grace Aukema and Renee Arnold led Montrose with seven digs each.

Dunmore jumped all over Elk Lake from the get go winning the first set 25-6 and cruising through the final two sets 25-10 and 25-11.

Friday at Elk Lake Montrose traveled down the road to earn their first victory of the defeating the Lady Warriors in four games 3-1.

Montrose seized control of the match early taking the first set 25-14 and riding that momentum to a 25-20 win in game two. However, the Lady Warriors avoided a sweep when Elk Lake took the exciting back and forth third game 27-25. Montrose regained control in game four and won the game and match with a 25-17 victory.

Jessie Sassler led the way for Montrose with 14 assists and Kaden Rowe had eight aces and six digs. Anna Comly paced Elk Lake with nine points while Montana Kerr and Kelsey Day chipped in with seven and five points respectively.