Above: A group of Gonk athletes will be trading in their Titans mascots for new ones next fall. (photo cropped from tweet by @ARHSAthletics)
I’m following up on Algonquin Girls Volleyball’s big Final Four game last night. Plus, I’m shaing news on ARHS senior athletes who committed to compete at the college level next year.
Although the Gonk Volleyball was power ranked the upper seed team in last night’s MIAA Division 2 Semi Finals, their opponent has been undefeated this season, with only 4 set losses prior to last night’s match.
According to media reports, Canton scored the final victory, but the Titans didn’t make it easy for them.
The Telegram recapped the results of last night’s game:
The second-seeded Titans (19-5) dropped the first two sets, 25-21, 25-19, but fought back to take the third, 32-30, win the fourth, 25-20, and was tied at 10 in the fifth before falling, 15-11
Metrowest Daily News provided more detail on the dramatic mid-match rally:
Canton could have ended it a handful of times in the third set after taking the first two 25-21 and 25-19. The Bulldogs trailed 12-6 early in the third but managed to claw back and tie it at 24. The teams exchanged haymakers well past the typical 25-point bell because neither could establish a two-point advantage. Algonquin fought off four match points, and Canton denied two set points before Titans captain Caroline Macauley powered through a block to finish the set 32-30 and keep Algonquin’s season alive.
“That’s just the kind of team they are. That’s the way we’ve played all season. They never counted themselves out,” Algonquin coach Janice Henningson said. “They have a lot of fight, and they never give up.”
The article noted that this was the first year that Algonquin Girls Volleyball made it to the Final Four. You can read more here and see photos here.
Congrats to the record setting team. It’s worth noting that their success has been partially credited to “veteran” players. The challenge for next year is that six of the thirteen team members will have graduated.
Speaking of graduating athletes. . .
Yesterday, the school honored eight Titans who have already committed to playing collegiate sports next year.
Notably, All but one are Southborough residents, and the group includes two sets of twins who will be entering sports programs together. (Click photo right tweeted by @ARHSAthletics for the caption with names):
- Garrett Burns, Soccer – Fairfield
- Jack & Nate Gulachenski, Lacrosse – St. Michael’s
- Quinn Salvi, Baseball – Anna Maria
- Annie Harwich, Field Hockey – Endicott
- Sheila & Brigid Purcell, Cross Country/Track & Field – Holy Cross
- Olivia Labelle, Track & Field – Williams
- Plus Northborough’s Zachary Meehl, Baseball – RIT
