Volleyball sweeps Buccaneers, advances to semifinals
By Izabela Gage
Staff Writer
In the first round of the playoffs, the Framingham State Rams opened with a three-set sweep of the Mass. Maritime Buccaneers, winning 25-9, 25-14, and 25-21 Nov. 10.
This win improves their conference record to 5-2 and their overall record to 19-10.
The Rams took an early lead in the opening set after Captain Natalie Reynolds, a senior, recorded a kill, assisted by junior Madysen Cedrone.
An attack error by Lola Myers gave FSU a second point before a service error put MMA on the board 3-1.
The Rams continued to build their lead as Reynolds recorded two consecutive kills. An attack error by the Buccaneers and a service ace from senior Emma Dobbins extended the Rams’ advantage to 8-1.
Dobbins added three consecutive service aces, pushing Framingham ahead 10-1. The Rams continued to benefit from attack errors, reaching a 14-1 lead before a service error gave the Buccaneers another point.
Reynolds recorded another kill from Cedrone to make it 15-2. Senior Jaimee Lowe followed with a service ace and a subsequent attack error by MMA. Reynolds then added a kill to extend the lead to 19-2.
Mass. Maritime responded with a kill, followed by a Framingham service error. The Buccaneers then recorded two service aces to shrink the deficit. Another point for them followed on a Framingham attack error, bringing the score to 21-7.
The Rams earned another point on an attack error before Dobbins followed with a kill, putting the Rams ahead 23-8.
MMA added another point before an attack error put Framingham one away from winning the set. Freshman Rachel Hoerig closed out the set with a service ace, giving the Rams a 25-9 win.
The second set opened with an attack error by the Rams, giving the Buccaneers the first point. Reynolds responded with a kill to tie the score. The teams continued trading points, with another Reynolds kill bringing the score to 3-3.
Mass. Maritime took a 5-3 lead after a kill from Maliah Servino and a Framingham attack error. The Rams answered with a block, followed by a service ace from Cedrone to tie the set at 5-5.
The Buccaneers moved ahead 7-5 after two more Framingham attack errors.
A service error gave the Rams a point before Dobbins recorded back-to-back kills. Senior Anneli DiVirgilio followed with a service ace to put Framingham ahead 9-7.
Mass. Maritime answered with a kill and a service ace to tie the score again 9-9.
Following a service error, Reynolds and Dobbins contributed kills before Hoerig added a service ace to extend Framingham’s advantage to 13-9.
After a Mass. Maritime timeout, the Rams added 2 more points on attack errors.
Dobbins and Reynolds recorded another kill each and Hoerig added another service ace to bring the score to 18-9.
The Rams’ scoring streak ended with a service error, but Lowe recorded a kill. The Buccaneers then added a point on a kill from Holly Sanders.
Another Mass. Maritime service error gave Framingham a 20-11 lead.
The teams continued exchanging points, as Reynolds and Captain Jamie Moniz, a senior, each recorded kills for the Rams, while the Buccaneers tallied points on two kills and a service error.
Dobbins then recorded another kill to put Framingham ahead 23-14.
An attack error by Servino gave the Rams set point, and they won the second set 25-14 after a block by Dobbins.
The third set began with another Reynolds-Cedrone connection.
Mass. Maritime responded with consecutive kills to take a 2-1 lead. Dobbins tied the score with a kill, assisted by Cedrone.
After an FSU attack error, MMA added three more points on attack errors. Servino contributed to the run with blocks, helping the Buccaneers move ahead 6-2.
Reynolds ended the run with another kill from Cedrone, making it 6-3. A service error and a bad set gave Mass. Maritime 2 more points before an attack error by Servino brought Framingham to 8-4.
The teams traded points, as junior Sarah Medeiros recorded two consecutive kills, both assisted by Cedrone, bringing the Rams within three.
Mass. Maritime answered with a kill from Servino, followed by a service ace from Sanders, and another Framingham attack error. The Buccaneers extended their lead to 13-6, prompting a Framingham timeout.
MMA added a point after the break before Moniz recorded a kill, assisted by Cedrone. Dobbins followed with another kill to make it 14-8.
The Buccaneers tallied a kill, but Reynolds responded with one of her own. Dobbins added a point after a Mass. Maritime attack error, bringing the score to 15-10.
A Framingham service error gave the Buccaneers their next point.
Mass. Maritime added a kill to move ahead 17-10. Reynolds responded with a kill, followed by another point after an attack error by Servino.
Servino and Medeiros exchanged kills before Dobbins broke through the Buccaneers defense to make the score 20-16.
An attack error by Sanders brought Framingham within three at 20-17. Mass. Maritime took the next point to move ahead 21-17, prompting another timeout.
Dobbins recorded a kill after the timeout to bring the score to 21-18. Two consecutive Mass. Maritime attack errors brought Framingham one point away from the lead.
Reynolds then recorded a kill assisted by Cedrone to tie the set 21-21.
After another Buccaneers’ timeout, Framingham took the lead off an attack error. A bad set gave the Rams another point, putting them ahead 23-21.
Another attack error brought Framingham to match point. Hoerig then recorded a service ace to close out the third set, securing the 25-21 win and completing the sweep.
Medeiros said, “We really focused on building our leads as much as possible and trying to get runs on the service line, which we were successful in doing.
“We tried to keep our momentum going as much as possible, and even in the third set when we were down for part of it, we didn’t panic. We just reset and worked to get our momentum back to finish the game in three sets,” she added.
Reynolds tallied 15 kills and earned a .312 attack percentage, and Dobbins tallied nine with a .450 attack percentage.
Cedrone made 27 assists, one service ace, and seven digs in the sweep.
Dobbins contributed 11 digs and four service aces across three sets.
She said, “We all had to step up and contribute where we needed to. For me, that included serving and playing defense, so I did my best to put my best foot forward in those aspects of the game as well as my front row.”
Medeiros said she attributes their success to “going into the game with the right mindset. Even though we swept Mass. Maritime when we played them two weeks ago in the regular season, we didn’t take them lightly at all going into playoffs.”
Medeiros said, “Beating top teams like Westfield and Bridgewater really requires that everyone is playing well, so it’s up to us to pick each other up on the court and make sure we’re all reaching our full potential. I’m hoping we carry over the high energy and ‘foot on the gas’ mentality into our next games.”
Moniz said, “We’ve talked as a team about picking each other up, bouncing back after errors, and doing what we can to reach our full potential.”
She added, “Making it to semifinals is something we are proud of. Coming out strong in the playoffs is a good first step to hopefully continue on a good path. … This group has worked extremely hard this season and now it’s time for us to close it out!”
The Rams traveled to and won against the second-seed Westfield State Owls in a five-set MASCAC semifinal thriller Nov. 12.
Dobbins said, “Seeing how much we’ve grown as a team this year, and how much our class has grown the past four has been amazing. So this postseason, we just want to leave it all on the court and fight to win the title.”
Medeiros said the biggest takeaway from this season is, “The hard work we put in from the first day of preseason three months ago to now really pays off. I’m confident we’ll bring the same determination and hard work in the offseason and going into next year.”
Moniz said having a large senior class has “benefited the team in setting the standard for our underclassmen to follow suit.”
She added, “This is our last chance, and our goal is to leave everything on the court.”
Dobbins said, “I could not have asked for a better group of girls to play alongside this year and the past four years. So having an opportunity to work toward a championship this season with these girls truly means the world.”
Medeiros said, “Our seniors have been phenomenal. Each and every one of them have been great examples of what it takes to win and what leadership looks like on and off the court. Not having them around next year will be difficult, but they’ve built a great foundation for the future of the team.”
The Rams travel to Bridgewater State to take on the top-seeded Bears in the MASCAC Championship Nov. 14.
