vikingssportsn HOPEWELL-Â Hopewell turned in a strong all-around performance, using balanced offense and consistent pressure from the service line to sweep Beaver Falls, 25-13, 25-12, 25-13.
The Vikings jumped out quickly in the opening set behind kills from Hannah McDowell and Mikayla Kurta. Beaver Falls battled back to tie things at 7-7, but Hopewell responded with a run fueled by Ariana Fischer and Addison Blosnick at the net. Blosnick delivered several big swings during the stretch, while Ayla Pisano kept the Tigers off balance with a perfectly placed dump to the back corner.
Hopewell began to pull away behind strong serving from Tessa Burgess, and Mariana Pinchotti helped finish off the 25-13 opening-set victory from a late run from the service line.
Beaver Falls grabbed a quick 3-0 advantage in Set Two, but Hopwell didn’t stay behind for long. McDowell helped erase the early deficit before Pinchotti tied the set with an ace, and from there Pisano began to take control of the Hopewell offense. She connected with Fischer in the middle for a kill, then went right back to the middle to set up Kurta for another big finish. Pisano followed with an ace and another tough serve that forced an error before changing things up gain, sending an outside set to McDowell for a big swing.
Beaver Falls had trouble settling in defensively. Hopewell turned a 10-10 battle into a 16-10 advantage, and the Vikings never looked back. Kurta added another kill, McDowell struck from the back row, and Pinchotti put together a strong late serving run as Hopewell rolled to a 25-12 win.
There was no slowing down in the third. Kurta opened the set with a kill, Fischer controlled the net with multiple blocks, and McDowell delivered three consecutive aces during an early Hopewell run. Blosnick added a cross-court kill, Pinchotti continued her strong night from the service line, and Fischer hammered home another Pisano set as the Vikings steadily pulled away.
McDowell provided one of the final highlights with a back-row smash to bring Hopewell to match point before the Vikings finished off another 25-13 victory and the straight-set sweep.
It was a complete team effort for Hopewell and a nice bounce back performance. Pisano consistently put her hitters in good positions and did an excellent job spreading the attack,
while McDowell, Kurta, Fischer and Blosnick gave the Vikings multiple offensive options. The serving pressure came from throughout the lineup, and once Hopewell created separation, the
Vikings stayed in control on their way to a convincing three-set victory.
Hopewell Varsity will be competing in the MAC Girls Volleyball tournament this Saturday at Moon High School. Next week, the Vikings go back on the road Tuesday 9/22, for a big
matchup vs the defending WPIAL and PIAA State Champion Avonworth. The next home game is on Thursday 9/24 vs Ellwood City.
Here’s the play-by-play recap from tonight:
Set #1
1-0 Hopewell on the board first. Tessa Burgess on the serve. Hannah McDowell with the kill
2-0 Mikalya Kurta makes her presence felt early with a kill to the right side
3-1 Cici Smetana with the set to Ayla Pisano for the kill by Kurta
5-2 McDowell with a desperation bump that just flips over the net
6-5 An early Beaver Falls run ends on a wide serve
7-7 McDowell with pass to Pisano to Ariana Fischer for the big kill
8-7 Marina Pinchotti with a great back set to Addison Blosnick for a kill
9-7 Pisano sets Blosnick for another big swing
10-8 Pisano with a beautiful dump to the back corner for a point
12-8 Blosnick hammers another kill. Timeout Beaver Falls
13-8 Fischer with an ace
15-9 Burgess on the serve now. Beaver Falls having trouble returning it.
17-9 Burgess still going
18-12 Beaver Falls with a long serve. Good read by Burgess.
19-12 Madaline Earley with a hit through the Tigers block
21-13 Beaver Falls missed serve to bring back momentum
22-13 Hannah with the kill
25-13 Good serving run by Pinchotti. Hopewell win Set #1
Set #2
0-3 Beaver Falls starts off Set #2 strong
1-3 Hopewell on the board after a McDowell tip forces an error
2-3 A McDowell kill just catches the blockers finger
4-4 Pinchotti with an ace to tie it back up
5-4 McDowell with another tip shot to the middle
6-6 Beaver Falls ties it back up
7-6 Pisano with a nice middle set to Fischer for the kill
8-7 Fischer with another kill to the left side
9-9 Pisano with another nice middle set, this time to Kurta who hammers it home
10-9 Burgess with a serve forcing an error
12-10 Pisano with an ace
13-10 Pisano with another nice serve forcing the error
14-10 Pisano all over the place, with an outside set to McDowell for a big swing
16-10 Hopewell back in control of Set #2
17-10 Kurta with a kill to the middle
18-10 Pinchotti sets to Pisano who sets to McDowell for the finish
19-12 McDowell with the back row kill
21-12 Pinchotti on a serving run
22-12 Addison Pavilisko with the pass, ending in another McDowell kill
23-12 Pinchotti continuing the strong serving run, getting to Set point.
25-12 Hopewell closes out Set #2
Set #3
1-0 Kurta hammers a kill to get it started
2-1 McDowell with another left side kill
4-3 Pinchotti with an ace
7-4 Fischer with a block
10-4 McDowell with 3 straight aces
11-5 Blosnick with a cross-court kill
12-6 Fischer with multiple blocks, the second finding the floor.
14-6 Fischer on the serving line.
16-9 A nice play at the net, forcing a Beaver Falls error
17-10 McDowell tips one to the middle creating chaos
18-11 Burgess with a nice read on a long serve
19-11 Pinchotti with an ace
20-11 Fischer with a big swing off Pisano’s set
21-11 McDowell with another tip, somehow staying out of the net
24-13 McDowell with a back row smash
25-13 Hopewell finishes out Set #3 and the Match
