AMHERST — Frontier Regional beat itself as much as Amherst did on Monday.
The visiting Red Hawks committed 65 errors – 24 hitting errors – in a 25-16, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14 loss to the Hurricanes in a PVIAC Eastern League girls volleyball match. Of the 96 points the Hurricanes scored, Frontier gave them 65 through its mistakes.
“We made too many errors of just about every description,” Frontier coach Sean MacDonald said. “I don’t want to take anything away from Amherst because they played really well, but we have way too much responsibility in the score right now.”
Frontier (6-5 overall, 2-3 Eastern) had more hitting errors than kills in the first set but led 6-5 early. That advantage lasted until Amherst gained the lead 9-8 on a Delaney MacPhetres kill. The Hurricanes outscored Frontier 16-8 the rest of the way to lock up the first set.
“Our setters were struggling with location and pushing it out too far,” MacDonald said.
So the Red Hawks changed their offensive system to a 6-2, which uses two setters on the floor instead of one. Sydney Scanlon finished with 12 assists, while Olivia Rosewarne had 10.
That cleaned up the offense for the second set, as Frontier only had one hitting error and eight kills. The Red Hawks built a 10-1 lead on an Olivia Deane kill. Deane led Frontier with 17 kills and 16 digs for the match.
Amherst chipped away at that advantage, pulling within a point on three occasions, but the Hurricanes couldn’t crest the hill, and the Red Hawks tied the match, 1-1.
The hitting errors returned in set 3, as seven miscues held Frontier back. The teams stayed within two points of each other and tied often, staying knotted as late as 21-21 after a Frontier service error.
Olivia Hogans (15 kills) gave the Hurricanes some breathing room with back-to-back kills, and Amherst closed the set on a 4-1 run. Frontier ended it with a service error and a hitting error.
“I thought it was looking OK in set three until some errors at the end, and it didn’t look good at all in set four,” MacDonald said.
Frontier committed 12 errors in the fourth set and managed just 14 points.
Some of the errors are growing pains. The Red Hawks returned just two starters this season and are still figuring out their best lineup combinations.
“Considering making changes, trying to figure it out,” MacDonald said of the dilemma.
The Red Hawks have four days of practice before their next match, a Sunday tilt in South Deerfield against Nantucket. Frontier faces Amherst again, at home on Oct. 10.
“I know they will (figure it out). I have total faith in this,” MacDonald said. “It’s like I know they can. We certainly have the skill and the pieces to be better than we are right now. Part of this is on me. It’s a bunch of little things that add up.”