By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The Needham Rockets Girls’ Volleyball team hosted the Concord-Carlisle Patriots this past Thursday, October 10th. This high-intensity match up consisted of the Rockets taking the first two sets of the game and clinching their win in the final set.
With their tenth win of the season under their belt, Needham has proven they are no team to mess with. They dominated the first two sets with ease, maintaining their lead throughout and accelerating their game when the score became close.
Outside hitter and Senior Captain Alexandra Sykora had an incredible night, making fourteen kills and eight aces. Matching this energy was Sadie Stants with eleven kills and Lisa O’Leary with eight.
Combined with the efforts of these three, the Rockets were able to make quick recoveries and set up phenomenal plays to win the first two sets, 25-15 and 25-15. The third set proved to be a true back and forth battle with the Patriots coming out on top. Despite Needham’s consistent efforts of excellent blocks and multiple hits, they fell short to a 21-25 score.
Going into the fourth set, while the Rockets were determined to get the overall win, it certainly came with its challenges. They trailed most of this set but came back to end with a 25-18 win.
Head Coach Courtney Todesco highlighted how well the girls all played in sync: “I thought we played well,” Todesco stated, “and that our defense and offense were pretty in sync! We hit very efficiently, with many hitters finding ways to score. We're looking to finish out the season strong and keep some momentum going as we approach playoffs.”
This non-conference win over Concord-Carlisle puts the Rockets current record to 10-4. They are also the first within their Bay State - Herget league at 5-0. Needham will host Framingham on Thursday, October 17th for their 16th game of the season. Start time is set for 4 PM.
