LONGMEADOW — Members of the Frontier Regional volleyball team are certainly aware of the outside attention the perennial powerhouse program elicits.
So when the Red Hawks entered Monday night’s road match at Longmeadow High School sitting in fourth place in the PVIAC Eastern League standings, suffice it to say there was considerable interest from the Western Mass. volleyball community as to which direction Frontier’s season takes from here.
Not surprisingly given their pedigree, the Red Hawks aren’t going anywhere.
Olivia Deane and Jalen Sullivan combined for 23 kills, and visiting Frontier played its best in the big points on Monday. That combination led to a statement victory, as the Hawks swept Longmeadow, 25-21, 25-23, 25-17 on ‘Spike it for Life’ night at D’Agostino Gymnasium.
“This year, we’re using the fact that since we have so many new players and starters, people may underestimate us,” said Frontier libero Reilly Isler, who racked up 21 digs in a busy night stabilizing her team’s defensive effort. “They may look at this group and see new players, but that’s motivating us because we want to prove that we’re a good team and that we can be successful as a new group.”
Monday night’s win may go a long way when it comes to instilling confidence in Frontier’s relatively inexperienced lineup. There has been no shortage of inconsistencies so far this fall, but when the Red Hawks are on their game, as they were during large portions of the win over Longmeadow, they present a difficult challenge for opposing teams.
“This (win) feels good for us,” offered Frontier head coach Sean MacDonald. “We respect Longmeadow a lot. So to go on the road and get a win against a good team, that’s what you’re going to have to do to win in the playoffs. And that’s the goal.”
Sullivan had one of her better outings of the season for Frontier (8-5 overall, 3-3 Eastern). The senior stepped up in crunch time, putting down a pair of kills late in a come-from-behind win in set two, and she served an ace on game point that essentially took the wind out of the Lancers’ sails with the visitors taking a commanding 2-0 advantage.
“I think we made it hard on (Longmeadow) by putting the ball in hard spots to return,” Sullivan said.
That spot placement was on display especially during the second frame, when the Hawks rallied from a 15-11 deficit. Deane tossed in two of her six aces as part of a 5-0 run that started the rally.
“We struggled at times with some indecision there (in the second set) and we dug ourselves a hole,” MacDonald explained. “We had to undig it. Luckily we were in it early enough that we still had time to get back out.”
Tied at 23, Frontier scrambled to keep the ball alive on Sullivan’s serve, and Deane eventually took a perfect pass from setter Olivia Rosewarne and slammed it home for a kill that set up game point. Sullivan’s ace sealed the deal and the Hawks carried that momentum into a convincing third-set victory.
“We’ve prepared well in practice and I think tonight, it showed how much we’ve improved and the areas where we have improved,” said Rosewarne, who dished out 16 assists for Frontier. Fellow setter Sydney Scanlon also played well, totaling 11 assists in the win.
Charlotte Doulette added four kills in the middle for Frontier, which jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the third set and never trailed.
In the opening set, Frontier got off and running to the tune of an 8-1 start, only to watch Longmeadow (8-5, 3-4) climb back. The Red Hawks were fit to rattle off several runs in the match, including a 6-0 spree late in the first game with Deane at the service line that extended the lead to 24-17. Sullivan’s tip kill on game point handed the visitors a 25-21 opener.
Isler said Frontier’s defense has improved, an area which she finds herself at the forefront. A de facto veteran as one of the few returning starters on the club, Isler helped orchestrate a defensive effort that amassed 77 digs in Monday’s win.
“I think we’ve always been a more offensive team, or known more for our offense over the years but I think this year there’s been a really positive shift to a more defensive kind of team,” Isler said. “With this group, the defense feels a lot more seamless than in the past.”
Whatever the formula for success may be moving forward, MacDonald would love to see his team round into shape just in time to capture a 15th consecutive sectional title next month.
“We want to be undefeated in November,” he began. “We want to make a deep playoff run and hopefully have our season continue into the state tournament. But that’s no easy thing and the girls are finding that out.”
Frontier returns home to face league foe Amherst on Thursday night at Goodnow Gymnasium. The Red Hawks are seeking redemption in that match, as they already lost on the road to the Hurricanes this season.