Hometown Volleyball Match Recap – Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers

By: Bruce Markey
Wednesday, October 1, 2014 | 12:34 PM

The Chartiers-Houston girls’ volleyball team notched a critical victory for its playoff bid on Tuesday, as the host Lady Buccaneers captured a straight-sets win over Burgettstown. All three sets were tightly contested, as Chartiers-Houston triumphed 25-20, 25-22, 25-23 to improve its record to 6-2 in Class A Section 6 play. Meanwhile, the Lady Blue Devils fall to 3-5 in section play, and are currently outside the playoff picture.

In the opening set, the Buccaneers controlled the play early, but the Blue Devils rebounded to take a 16-13 advantage. Senior libero Kassie Kesneck keyed the comeback for Chartiers-Houston, though, as her potent served helped spark an 8-0 run for the Bucs.

In the second set, the Blue Devils started strong, and had the upper hand until Chartiers-Houston used a 6-0 run to take the advantage. The Lady Bucs would not relinquish that lead, as they fended off a late surge by Burgettstown to claim the set.

In the decisive third set, Burgettstown again jumped out to an early lead, as the Blue Devils extended their edge to as many as five points. The Bucs again displayed their resiliency, though, rebounding from a 15-10 deficit to tie the contest at 17-17 and again at 21-21. The closing moments would belong to Chartiers-Houston, as the home standing squad pulled away late to secure the straight-sets win.

In addition to Kesneck, who was outstanding on the service, senior defensive specialist Montana Johnston, senior hitter Sabrina Stankus and junior hitter Jordan Simpson keyed the impressive performance for the Lady Bucs. An array of freshman also contributed for Chartiers-Houston, including setter Madison Simpson and middle hitter Alexa Williamson.

For the Blue Devils, junior middle hitter Jamie Barton paced the attack with a strong effort around the net, while Cassandra Carnes provided a spark early in the match with her jump serve.

Chartiers-Houston head coach Sean Cleary has helped turn around the Lady Bucs in his first year with the program, and Tuesdays’ win could go a long way in solidifying a playoff spot.

Tags: Burgettstown, Chartiers-Houston