FALMOUTH – The Falmouth volleyball team charged to a second straight victory over longtime rival Greely on Thursday night, this time in a decisive three sets at home.
It was the final match of the regular season for the Yachtsmen, who defeated the Rangers in five sets Tuesday at Greely.
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Falmouth and Greely will likely finish No. 3 and No. 4 after regular-season matches are completed tonight.
“This was huge for us,” said Falmouth Coach Gary Powers. “We’re really getting back into a rhythm. It’s a confidence boost.
“We were tentative Tuesday night. This time we wanted to finish in three (sets).”
The Yachtsmen won the first game 25-20, surviving a late five-point run by the Rangers.
Falmouth cruised to a 10-point lead in Game 2 and held off another late surge by Greely to win 25-18, then completed the sweep with a 25-9 win in Game 3.
“We came out wanting it,” said senior hitter Kate Sparks, who celebrated senior night with six teammates. Our key was communicating and playing as a team out there. These wins give us a new sense of confidence.”
Falmouth, which finished with a 12-2 record, is likely to be the No. 3 seed in next week’s playoffs, with perennial power Greely, now 8-5, most likely finishing at No. 4.
That leaves Biddeford (12-1), with a match scheduled today against Scarborough (6-6), to battle for the No. 1 seed with Mt. Desert Island (12-1), which closes with a match against Calais.
The top two seeds earn byes, but Powers said that’s not important.
“I prefer playing (rather) than sitting out a week,” Powers said.
Greely, which has won seven straight titles, has a young team this year.
Communication problems have surfaced in the last several matches, and during practice next week the team will focus on fixing that.
“We’re pretty much playing as individuals,” said Coach Kelvin Hasch. “We’re not communicating and relying too much on other people to do the job. Hopefully we can get our heads together for next week.”
That’s the plan, said Greely players.
“It’s mostly mental. We need to believe in each other,” said senior hitter Sara Warnock.
“I believe in our team. I know we can do it. It’s the little things, moving our feet, calling the ball.
“We’re a young team but we have a lot of talent.”
Staff Writer Jenn Menendez can be contacted at 791-6426 or at:
jmenendez@pressherald.com
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