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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Last Monday, the Medfield High girls volleyball team took to their home floor for the final time in the 2016 regular season against TVL opponent Bellingham. As part of Senior Night, the Warriors (15-5, 14-1) honored their five members of the Medfield High class of 2017 before the start of the match: Haley Wong, Julia McDevitt (C), Erin Cahill, Ally Beck (C), and Makayla D'Amore.
Following the ceremonial goodbye that saw the reading of a poem by the Warrior underclassmen to the five senior leaders, the Warriors went on to defeat the Blackhawks (3-15, 1-14) in convincing fashion, 3-0.
Medfield got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 15-7 lead in the first set. Bellingham cut the deficit to 15-11 before Ally Beck (12 kills, 10 assists) and Julia McDevitt (12 kills, 5 assists) got their team on a run with five consecutive kills between the two to put the Warriors up 21-12. Medfield went on to win the set 25-17 to jump out to the 1-0 lead.
Bellingham quickly got out to a 3-1 lead in the second set but like all good teams do, the Warriors kept their composure and responded by staying in position, which allowed them to win six consecutive crucial points at the net and fight back to take the lead at 7-3. In her final regular season home game, Haley Wong (36 assists, four kills) put on a clinic at the net during the second set. Wong set up McDevitt and Beck for three kills a piece during Medfield’s big run in set two, as the Warriors took command at 17-8. Flawless serving by Cahill (15 attempts, four aces) and aces-galore by McDevitt (20 attempts, 10 aces) allowed the Warriors to put away the second set at 25-16 and gave Medfield the chance to complete the 3-0 sweep on Senior Night.
The Warriors again got off to a strong start in the third stanza with two kills by Makayla D'Amore (three kills, nine serve attempts, three aces) to start the set, followed by five kills between Beck and McDevitt as Medfield took a 9-3 lead.
Juniors Brooke Deady (two kills, two blocks) and Gina Fitzpatrick (one kill, two blocks) entered the game and did their part in the third set, earning and saving crucial points to help Medfield to a commanding 20-9 lead. Bellingham fought hard to cut the deficit to 21-15, but the Warriors would not be denied the sweep and fought to a 25-18 set victory to win the match.
The Warriors will now wait to find out where and when they will be playing their Division II state tournament bid.
