From the pass, to the set and to the hit, Avon Lake wants to live up to the hype leading up to the 2023 season.
Aug. 29, the Shoregals’ system proved to be too potent for Amherst to handle, as they swept the Comets in three sets.
“We work every day on serve receive. We work every day on defense and the basic fundamentals to the point of ad nauseam. It is about their willingness to work harder,” Avon Lake coach Shana Miocinovic said.
Avon Lake won its set,s 25-17, 25-15, 25-15, as it continued its march for a potential Southwestern Conference championship, with a 4-0 (3-0 SWC) record.
Amherst (2-2, 2-1 in SWC) kept pace with Avon Lake in the first set. With the score, 11-11, the Shoregals went on an 11-1 run to lead, 22-12, eventually took the first set.
“A lot of those times the ball lands on one side or another, whoever has two less errors wins,” Miocinovic said. “(Amherst) is fighting; we’re fighting. They are very defensive; we’re very offensive. At the end of the day, it’s a good matchup in certain ways and a bad matchup in other ways.”
The Shoregals were led by their hitting anchors Aubrey Kirk (12 kills) and Stephanie Smith (15), but right side hitter and junior Lily Rice (10) became an added bonus to the lineup.
“I feel like we all click so well, especially having that extra year together (last year),” Rice said. “This is going to be a big season for us. We are all used to each other. We have been doing this Mental Monday thing that has been very beneficial.”
Better known as “Killy Lily” by some around Avon Lake, Rice showed even if a team can neutralize Kirk and Smith, she is someone to key in on.
“(Rice) is definitely somebody that we are looking at toward the future for sure,” Miocinovic said. “She is like a silent assassin. When people look at our two outside hitters (Kirk and Smith), they think that I am going to go after the two outsides. It’s all eyes on them. She gets forgotten from time to time. You can’t forget about her.”
After Avon Lake took the momentum in the first set, it took control of the start of the second set, with a 9-1 run out the gate. The run took the sails out of the Comets’ first-set performance.
“Game 2 was tough for us for Avon Lake to set the tone, but I think that was giving all that effort in Set 1 and still dropping it,” Amherst coach Felicia Sanchez said. “To a youthful player, that is a gut-punch. They have to learn how to fight through the game’s rollercoaster.”
As a team that lost core players in last year’s senior class, Amherst is tasked to build the program back up. Fighting through adversity will be key for the Comets moving forward, as they host SWC rival Olmsted Falls on Aug. 31.
“When the other team starts running on us, that is when we stop trusting our training and we stop trusting each other,” Sanchez said. “That’s when the inexperience comes in, as far as how to read a hitter. We are struggling at that right now, because they are young. But their fight and their grit is admirable.”
Shoremen libero Dani McArthur led the team with 21 digs, and Meyer had 43 assists.
“I have faith in everybody. No matter the pass, it is always on. I’ll set it to somebody, and it will probably go down,” Meyer said.
Comets middle hitter Cecily Waynar led the team with six kills. Jayla Cruz and Roxy Trunzo each had seven digs.
Avon Lake will have another SWC test on Aug. 31, as it will host Elyria.
