Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Sadie Lupton hammered home the match point as the NDSS Golden Hawks girls captured their second straight KASSAA junior girls volleyball title Wednesday night at St. Lawrence College.
Napanee won the title in three sets, defeating the Frontenac Falcons 25-13, 25-21 and 25-9.
Vienna Ballance-Hinch had 13 points (seven kills, three aces, three stuff blocks), tying Lupton for the team high. Lupton had nine kills to go with four aces while Abby Kelsey had eight points with five kills and three aces.
After establishing the momentum in the first set, the Hawks appeared well on their way to taking a commanding 2-0 set lead when the Falcons began to rally.
A strong serving run by Kaiah Weese put the Hawks up 10-3 before the Falcons began to find their rhythm. They chipped away, climbing to within 15-10. Just as the Hawks seemed to right the ship and were on match point, the Falcons again found a groove. Though they made things tense, the Hawks were able to stay calm and finally close out the 25-21 win.
Napanee continued to ride that momentum into the third. A big hit from Sophie Donnan put the Hawks ahead 8-6, the start of a 7-0 run for Napanee.
They never looked back from there, rolling to the 25-9 victory.
The Golden Hawks celebrate with the trophy after successfully defending their KASSAA league title. Photo by Deb Lowry.
After finally ending the Hawks’ volleyball KASSAA title drought last season, this group has further cemented their legacy with a repeat performance. They’ll now have the chance to add one more jewel in the crown as they play host to the EOSSAA tournament on Feb. 21. Napanee will play as host and defending champs, having won the eastern region title last year as well. Despite hosting the event, the Hawks weren’t guaranteed to play, needing to clinch the KASSAA title to qualify.
Napanee’s team is made up of Rayanna Mulgrue, Abby Kelsey, Kaiah Weese, Liz Miller, Finlay Paul, Addyson Hudgins, Sophie Donnan, Madison Forester, Vienna Ballance-Hinch, Nara Rickard, Aby Misevicius, Ryan DuChene, Sadie Lupton, Avery Ballance-Hinch, Ava Bisonette, Annie Davey, Katie Reid and Ana Oliver. They’re coached by Todd Collard, Taigan Ardern and Nicole Morrow.