Fresh start: Walsh Jesuit and Stow volleyball open postseason with strong resets

CUYAHOGA FALLS — Coaches love to say when the playoffs begin, every team moves back to 0-0.

That's a sound perspective for teams looking to move on from tough regular seasons. Stow-Munroe Falls and Walsh Jesuit volleyball each fit that bill.

Once both elite programs on the Ohio volleyball scene, the Bulldogs and Warriors have struggled in recent years and finished the regular season below .500 against heavy schedules.

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Perhaps the sectional playoffs could be the first step on the road back.

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It was a maroon and gold sweep Wednesday night at Walsh in a Division I Northeast 2 sectional doubleheader.

Stow (7-16) opened with a sweep of backyard rival Kent Roosevelt (7-17), besting the Rough Riders 25-11, 25-15, 25-16.

The Warriors (11-12) needed four sets to turn back a scrappy Louisville (5-18), 25-16, 25-17, 24-26, 25-16. Walsh celebrated senior setter Cassandra Shaw reaching 1,000 career assists.

Both teams advance to sectional finals at Twinsburg Saturday with Stow facing the Tigers at 3 p.m. and Walsh facing Lake at 4:30 p.m.

After a year of battling in the Suburban League National Conference — which finished with a four-way title tie — the Bulldogs found a weapon Wednesday against the Rough Riders: The serve.

Stow finished with 20 aces against Roosevelt. The Rough Riders inability to receive serve ended any chance to run their offense consistently.

"This was probably our best serving game all season," Stow coach Sara Snyder said. "That's one thing that we worked very hard on and it paid off tonight."

Sophomore Katie Flaherty led Stow with six aces, and junior Gianna Cella had four.

Roosevelt coach Sean Burns could only tip his hat.

"They served the ball extremely well," Burns said. "All the credit goes to them for that. We could not get into system at all tonight."

Speaking of offensive systems, Snider said the Bulldogs had started the season in a 6-2 formation, but had recently switched to a traditional 5-1.

The play of sophomore setter Ellie Mears justified the switch Wednesday. She finished with a career-high 31 assists.

Considering Walsh is led by coach Kyra Coundourides, perhaps the best setter in school history, it should come as no surprise the Warriors' setters were all over the court as well.

Shaw played not only setter, but also right-side hitter for the Warriors, and senior setter Madelyn Reed also played multiple slots.

It didn't stop them from running the Warriors' offense well. Shaw had 32 assists and Reed 23.

"We ran it as a 6-2 offense to start, but we switched it into a 5-1," Coundourides said. "With the bangers we have, Cassandra and Madelyn's skills are so interchangeable."

Coundourides joked she had a "first-world problem" of almost too much versatility, with every Walsh player capable of playing multiple positions.

So why was Walsh coming in under .500? The Crown Conference boasts the No. 1 team in Division II in Mentor Lake Catholic, as well as four other state powers. Coundourides said only two teams on Walsh's regular season schedule didn't play in a regional last year.

Coundourides also said Shaw had been a part Walsh's varsity since she took over three years ago and had seen Walsh through some tough times. A senior, Shaw collected career assist No. 1,000 on a kill by Katherine Trzcinski at 20-15 in the second set.

"It means a lot because [Coundourides] is the one who taught me how to pass," Shaw said. "I'm so glad to be in the club with her."

It wasn't all smooth sailing for Walsh. With Walsh ahead 22-17 late in the third set, Louisville rallied to tie the set at 23-23 and win 26-24.

"I told the girls 'Don't let up,'" Leopards coach Alicia Mihalic. "Press for every point. We're a young team. I think the girls played their hearts out tonight, so I'm very proud."

"I had some new kids on the floor at that time who needed varsity experience," Coundourides said. "They are all good players, but sometimes the pressure gets to you in the playoffs. They'll be fine."

Louisville tried to ride the momentum into the fourth set, but Walsh came back with Gabrielle Grdine and Trzcinski doing much of the damage.

Trzcinski led Walsh with 18 kills, while Grdina had 12.

"It really helps to have all those weapons around," Shaw said. "We know we can attack from all over."

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Walsh Jesuit and Stow volleyball open postseason with solid wins