By RICHIE HALL
WESTFIELD – The best defense against adversity is experience.
That came into play for the Hamilton Southeastern girls volleyball team last Saturday as it was trying to defend its Class 4A Sectional 8 crown. The Royals were getting a tough battle from host Westfield in the championship match, with the Shamrocks winning a fiery second set after Southeastern took the first set.
But the Royals came back, dominating the third set, and used that momentum to win the fourth set and the match. The set scores were 25-13, 20-25, 25-12, 25-19. Southeastern won its third consecutive sectional championship, its fifth in sixth years and eighth overall.
The Royals never trailed in the first set, although it was a battle for most of the set. Westfield was still within 14-11 when HSE’s Lindsey Mangelson hit a kill, and the Royals blasted through the remainder of the set, winning 11 of the next 13 points.
Southeastern appeared to have the momentum in the second set, leading 9-6. Madison Miles smacked three straight kills, this after a Mia Walpole ace. The Rocks worked their way back to 11-11, then won six straight points to take a 17-11 lead.
Paige Rudolph was on fire during that run, hitting four kills. A Mangelson kill and block stopped the spurt, but an Audrey Bassett kill and Brooke Neale ace put Westfield up 20-13. It was back and forth for the last few points, but a Rudolph kill gave the set to the Rocks.
“We’ve been in that situation before this season, and I think it helped prepare us,” said Southeastern coach Jason Young. “I was really proud of how we came out of that. Westfield came and really smacked us in the mouth a little bit in that second set in front of a big home crowd. That’s a challenge in the sectional final to come back from that.”
But the Royals were up to the challenge. They quickly jumped ahead 5-2 and then led 9-6 after a Miles kill on Westfield’s serve.
That brought Ava Hunter up to serve, and she went on a brilliant run. Hunter served the next nine points, hitting aces on five of them. Miles and Merritt Sliwa both hit kills during the run, which put HSE up 18-6.
“I think it definitely brought all the energy back and I felt like it brought our team’s spirit up,” said Hunter.
Hunter scored the last point of the third set, a kill to put the Royals up 2-1 in sets. Southeastern took an early 7-2 lead in the fourth set, with Kaylyn Christy serving five straight points from 2-2. Bre Morgan and Mangelson both hit kills during that run.
The Royals went up 11-4 in the set before Westfield scored four straight points to get within 11-8. Miles stopped that run with a kill, and Southeastern kept its lead between four and seven points for the remainder of the match. Sliwa finished things off with a kill.
“A lot of leadership, a lot of leadership took over that third set, and then as things got tight in the fourth, I felt like our seniors just took control of the match and closed the door on it,” said Young.
“I think they battled hard,” said Westfield coach Emily Jackson. The coach said the Rocks have a “very young team, which is an exciting, very talented group. But in those high-pressure situations, that experience makes a difference.”
Southeastern had balanced hitting. Mangelson led with 13 kills, followed by Miles with 12 and Sliwa with 11. Maye McConnell served four aces and Mangelson had three. McConnell had 14 digs, while Mangelson collected 10. Hunter dished out 40 assists.
Rudolph led the Shamrocks’ offense with 11 kills, while Bassett hit nine. Kendyl Strack made 24 digs, Stella Terpening had three blocks, Brooke Neale served two aces and Izzy Jackson dished out 24 assists.
Westfield finished its season with a 21-9 record with a team that Jackson said has “a ton of potential” coming back. Strack, Rudolph, Carsyn Comer and Laynie Holman are all sophomores, Bassett is a junior and Neale is a freshman.
“I think they realize that they have what it takes,” said Jackson.
The Royals improved to 30-2 with the victory and play in the Homestead regional this Saturday. Southeastern will take on Harrison at 1 p.m.
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