Somers Volleyball Clicks in Sweep of Pelham

SOMERS, N.Y. - After winning the John Jay tournament on Saturday, the volleyball team came away feeling in sync

“We played really well together,” said Adrianna Adelman. “It was a great way to bond.”  But it was a near solo act that set the tone for the Tuesday, Sept. 24 home sweep of Pelham.

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Including five aces, Libby Hochman went on a 15-point serving run to secure a 25-12 first game win, and that had the Tuskers well on the way to taking the next two games by scores of 25-13 and 25-15.

Close to start began the match but Maren Kellock foretold where the day was going for the visitors. Three kills off the sets of Emma Barton gave Somers a 3-2 lead, and after Pelham kept pace with a kill at 4-3, the illusion started to fade.

Alex Googel added two kills, and Pelham contributed with a pair of miscues to fall behind by a score of 7-3.  An errant Somers bump did provide a brief respite for the Pelicans so the Tuskers went strong up the middle. From middle back, Kellock closed a rally with her kill, and at middle up, Gianna Morales put hers away to open a 9-4 lead.

The setter platoon system in perfect working order, Katie Kourakos served both up.  Unfortunately, she didn't get it done from the serve line on the subsequent point, but no problem, Hochman was on the way.

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She started with consecutive aces, and Somers now up 14-5, Kourakos was back in play after Katie Coughlin fielded the bump. The setter stepped in and went short in the middle for another Morales kill.

Two aces then sandwiched between another Pelham error extended the lead to 13, and despite the dominance from the back line, Kourakos showed Pelham that the remaining Tuskers had not fallen asleep. The setter came in for a diving save, and Pelham again gave away the point on an error.

Now 19-5, another ace had Hochman empathetic and understanding what it’s like to be on the wrong end of a run. “It’s really frustrating,” she assured.

The onslaught finally ended on a Pelham kill at 21-5. But the damage was done, and Kellock put Pelham out of their misery with a swing from the left.

The Somers dance didn’t end, and these elephants have more than one move. From right, center to left, Morales, Adelmann and Kellock registered kills, and for good measure, Olivia Tran nailed the ace for a 4-0 lead.

Even so, Pelham responded.  A block, a dink and a long hit by Abby Babboni made it 4-3. Still,  the Pelicans learned that poking Tuskers doesn’t really work either.

First, Babboni dropped an off speed spike on the line and that had Barton returning from her proactive hibernation.  “I try to cheer the whole time,” she said.

Keeping her energy up, she also explained why volleyball players don’t use chairs. “If we sit down, we might not stand back up,” Barton joked.

So on the vertical, the setter took Tran’s bump and didn’t miss a beat for Adelmann. A perfect, middle set, it’s not the speed that kills, according to Adelmann.  “The point of the middle set is to take them by surprise,” said Adelmann, and the back corner destination had no blocker getting in the way.

Of course, straightforward works too. Barton set right twice, and Kellock two timed the kills. Up 9-3, the girls switched to softball. Kellock and Googel dropped dinks, and Pelham remained at a distance.

Adelmann adding an ace, the lead extended to 13-6, but Pelham couldn’t help making the mistake of getting close again. Two blocks and a kill making it a 13-9 game, this time the Pelicans undid themselves. After Googel killed to stop the mini run, the Pelicans followed with their straight errors.

Up by eight, the lead grew to 20-11 on a Morales twin killing. She dinked and aced on consecutive points, and then the Tuskers got historical with a little circus play.  On an errant bump, Kourakos’ dive barely got the ball airborne, and Kellock reflexively backhanded the low ball over the net. On the return, Adelmann trickled the ball off the top of the net, and a 21-12 lead was had.

The bold print now on the wall, Kellock and Adelmann double teamed the block, Kellock went solo on the kill, and Adelman did the same to finish off the game.

One to go, Somers got out fast again. Morales killed twice to start, and Googel once for a 5-2 lead. On their way, Googel, Adelmann killed, and Kellock got back in the act for a 9-4 lead.

Still in the gym, though, Pelham fought back to within 11-9. Of course, the story was the same. Kellock killed, Nicole Galletta drew an ace, and that put Googel on the loose. She was on point with three kills, and the 17-12 had it just a matter of time.

Winding her watch, Kellock did a number. A kill and two dinks made it 23-14, and her game winning slam set her fellow hitter up for the last word. “It was just one of those games where everything was clicking,” concluded Googel.

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