vikingssportsn HOPEWELL TWP. — Hopewell opened its varsity volleyball season Monday night with a straight-set victory over Blackhawk, winning 25-18, 25-16 and 26-24.
The Vikings received contributions throughout the lineup, combining a balanced attack with strong serving and timely defense to secure the sweep.
Hopewell established control early in the opening set. Ari Fischer, Avery Boyd and Hannah McDowell all recorded early kills before McDowell added an ace. Addison Blosnick provided a spark at the net with a pair of kills and later teamed with Fischer for a block that helped Hopewell build a 10-7.
After Blackhawk cut the deficit to 16-14, the Vikings responded. Boyd stopped the run with a well-placed shot before McDowell delivered back-to-back aces. Mikayla Kurta followed by hammering an overpass for a kill, and Fischer eventually closed out the 25-18 victory with a kill.
Blackhawk put Hopewell under more pressure early in the second set, building an 11-7 advantage and forcing a Vikings timeout.
Hopewell quickly answered.
McDowell delivered a backrow kill before Kurta fired consecutive aces to put the Vikings back in front, 12-11. From there, Hopewell took control behind Fischer, McDowell and Boyd, while setters Kenzie Murray and Marina Pinchotti continued to distribute the ball across the Vikings attack.
Hopewell stretched its advantage to 17-12, forcing a Blackhawk timeout, and never surrendered the lead. Kurta finished off the second set with a block following a long rally to put the Vikings ahead 2-0 in the match.
The third set proved to be the night’s most dramatic.
Hopewell built a 12-8 advantage behind McDowell, Blosnick and Murray, but Blackhawk battled back and eventually grabbed a 16-15 lead. The teams traded points before the Vikings put together another run.
Boyd delivered three kills during a crucial stretch, Kurta added another, and a McDowell ace pushed Hopewell ahead 23-18.
Blackhawk refused to go away.
The Cougars erased the deficit and tied the set at 24-24, forcing the Vikings to find an answer with the match suddenly hanging in the balance.
They did.
Blosnick hammered a huge kill to give Hopewell match point at 25-24. On the next rally, Fischer and Blosnick teamed up at the net for the match-winning block, securing the 26-24 victory and the season-opening sweep.
Hopewell’s offensive balance was evident throughout the night, with McDowell, Boyd, Fischer, Blosnick and Kurta all producing important kills. Murray directed much of the attack while also contributing several timely offensive plays of her own, and the Vikings received key passing and defensive contributions from Burgess, Pinchotti, Kurta and Cici Smetana.
HERE IS THE VARSITY PLAY-BY-PLAY RECAP
Set No. 1
1-0 Ari Fischer hammers a kill off the Murray set
2-1 Avery Boyd with a kill
3-2 Hannah McDowell with a kill
4-2 McDowell with an ace
6-6 Addison Blosnick with a nice kill off the pass from Marina Pinchotti
7-7 Blosnick with another kill to the back row
9-7 Mikayla Kurta with an ace
10-7 Blosnick and Fischer team up for a block
12-8 McDowell with another kill off the Murray set
14-8 Tessa Burgess with an ace
16-14 Blackhawk with a small run to get back in range
17-14 Boyd with a nice placement shot for a point
19-14 McDowell with back-to-back aces
20-14 Kurta hammers an overpass for a kill
23-17 Kurta serves for a point off the Blackhawk error
25-18 Fischer with a kill to win Set #1
Set No. 2
2-0 Hopewell on the board off back-to-back Burgess serves
4-2 Boyd with a kill off the Pinchotti set
4-6 Blackhawk on a run
5-6 McDowell sets one over right to the middle
6-7 Pinchotti with a good read on a long serve
7-9 Murray with a dump to the middle for a point
7-11 Blackhawk with 2 more points forcing a Hopewell timeout
9-11 McDowell with a back row kill
12-11 Kurta with back-to-back aces to take back the lead
14-12 Fischer with the kill off the Murray set
15-12 McDowell with a kill from a beautiful pass from Cici Smetana
17-12 Hopewell on a run forcing a Blackhawk timeout
18-14 Fischer smashes a kill for a point
19-15 Boyd finishes a kill off a nice set from Murray
20-16 McDowell with a kill from the right side
21-19 Boyd with a nice kill to stop a run
22-19 Boyd with an ace
23-19 Murray with a kill to extend the lead
24-19 Hopewell gets to set point on a net error by Blackhawk
25-16 Kurta with a block after a great rally to win set #2
Set No. 3
1-2 Hopewell on the board with a McDowell kill off an overpass
2-2 Tied up off a McDowell block
4-2 Murray with an ace
6-6 Hopewell stops a Blackhawk run
7-6 McDowell with an ace
8-6 Blosnick with a big swing off the Murray set
9-6 McDowell with another ace
10-7 Hopewell with a point off the Blackhawk error
12-8 Blosnick with the kill off a great pass from Kurta and set from Murray
13-11 Murray with a dump to stop a 3-point run
14-11 Hopewell with the point off the Burgess serve
15-13 Blackhawk serving error keeps Hopewell in front
15-16 Blackhawk comes back to grab a lead
17-17 Murray recovers nicely from a fall to force a Blackhawk error
18-17 Murray with nice dig, to a Burgess pass finished by a Boyd Kill.
19-18 Burgess pass to a Murray set for a kill by Boyd
20-18 McDowell serve finished off by another Boyd kill.
21-18 Kurta for the kill after a McDowell serve
22-18 Boyd for the point
23-18 McDowell with an ace
24-19 Blackhawk serve into the net.
24-24 Blackhawk comes all the way back to tie it up at 24.
25-24 Blosnick with a huge kill to force match point.
26-24 Fischer and Blosnick team up for a block to win the point and the match.
