Varsity Volleyball Takes Down Both Suffield and Pomfret in Straight Sets
 
Middlesex Varsity Volleyball hosted the first Interstate Invitational on September 16, in which two Massachusetts teams-- Lawrence and Middlesex this year-- played two teams from Connecticut --Suffield Academy and Pomfret School. Middlesex first played first Suffield Academy in a best-of-three match, and then faced Pomfret-- in a rematch of last year's NEPSAC championship match-- again in a best-of-three match. It was a great day for the Zebras, who won both contests 2-0.
 
Middlesex's first server against Suffield, setter Defne Colak '18, opened the match with an ace, putting Middlesex on the board first, but as the set progressed, the two teams traded sideouts, looking for holes in each other's defenses. A great dig by co-captain and libero Nina Huttemann '18 to Defne set up a kill by outside hitter Hadley Jevon '19, allowing the Zebras to edge ahead. A strong service run in the middle of the set by co-captain and middle hitter Mimi Larrieux '18, which included a couple of aces, gave Middlesex a more decisive lead. Another aced serve, this time by opposite Grace Chamberlain '19, was followed shortly by a dig by Defne, which was picked up by Nina to set up a crushing kill by co-captain and outside hitter Avery Light '18. The first set then ended the way it began, with a service run by Defne, who finished the set with a pair of aces to put the final score at 25-17.
 
Suffield came back swinging in the second set, and Middlesex lost a few points early to the Tigers' tough offense. They rallied, however, pushing points until the set was tied at 8-8 after another kill by Avery off of a great set by Defne. Another strong service run by Defne, during which she notched another three aces (she totalled seven aces in this match), extended the Zebras' lead, aided by great work at the net by Mimi Larrieux, who had a huge stuff block to end a particularly long rally. Suffield had its own strong servers, and a long service run by their top server threw the Zebras momentarily off balance and allowed Suffield to close the gap. When Avery rotated back to serve, the score was at match point, 24-23. The Tigers overpassed her serve, and middle blocker Natalie Burden '18 was right there to stuff it and to end the final set 25-23, Middlesex.
 
******
 
After a brief break, Middlesex took the court again, this time in an exciting contest between the two most recent NEPSAC Class B champions. Middlesex started off strong, with contributions from all players, including kills by Avery, Mimi, Natalie Burden, and Hadley. Outside hitter Mayu Lee '20 rotated in to serve, and immediately dished up an ace to extend the Zebras' lead. A hit by opposite Maggie Chamberlain in the middle of the set forced the Griffins out of system, and the result was an error by Pomfret, putting the score at 17-8. After more strong work both at the net and on defense and some long, scrappy rallies, the set ended with a final score of 25-14.
 
Pomfret came out determined in the second set, though both teams were beginning to tire. A pair of kills by Avery off of Defne's assists helped to rally the Zebras' confidence and offensive momentum. A long service run by Avery, which included kills by Hadley and an ace by Avery, allowed Middlesex to edge ahead. Another long service run, however, this time by Pomfret, put the Griffins momentarily on top, until a great dig by defensive specialist Lyn Wu '19 to Defne set up a back row kill by Avery to end a long rally and regain the serve. Middlesex edged ahead and continued to build upon the lead for the rest of set. A strong service run by Nina put Middlesex up 22-15, with some long rallies and hard work at the net, featuring blocks by Avery and by opposite hitter Natalie McCall '21, whose huge block of the Pomfret outside put the score at 19-14. The Zebras' serving continued to be a strength, as setter Sophia Poplyk '21 stepped in to dish up an ace. The second and final set ended at 25-21, Middlesex.
 
After a busy opening week of the season, the Middlesex Volleyball team (3-0 overall record) looks forward to some well-deserved rest and a week of training before facing their semi-final opponent from last year, Newton Country Day, in the Cage at 2:30pm next Saturday, September 23.