By Rick Assad
At first glance and after two sets, it appeared that the Providence High girls’ volleyball team would easily handle Rim Of The World in a CIF Southern Section Division VI opening-round match at the Fritz B. Burns Activity Center on Tuesday night.
It was anything but as the visitors stormed back and claimed the third set and came within a whisker of forcing a fifth game.
The 25-8, 25-14, 17-25, 25-20 triumph showed that the Pioneers have grit and determination and this should help in future matches.
Sam Tozlian is the Providence head coach, and several things caught his attention.
“I like the way we went into that match with aggression and confidence. In that third set, Rim made adjustments and started playing much better,” he noted. “I think we took our foot off the gas a little bit and made uncharacteristic errors in the third and fourth.”
Tozlian added: “It took some clutch plays late in the fourth to finish them off but credit to Rim Of The World for making it hard on us,” he stated.
The Fighting Scots led 6-2 in the fourth set when Providence junior Kailey Ho hit out of bounds.
When junior Zoe Barrows added three straight service aces, Providence led 9-7.
Rim Of The World (15-13) tied it at 10-10 on Ho’s hitting error but the hosts had an 8-2 run for a 18-12 advantage.
During that stretch, junior Nasiyah Chapman, who led all players with 13 kills, contributed a pair that made it 13-10 and 17-12 as the visitors asked for time.
The Fighting Scots then collected eight of 11 points and evened it at 20-20 on a push from junior setter Brynn Bagnell.
The Pioneers remained calm despite the run and claimed the next five points as Barrows capped the set and match with back-to-back service aces.
The first game was dominated by Providence which led 6-1 on a service error by sophomore opposite hitter Nadia Sherrill.
The Pioneers went on another extended surge as they pulled ahead 12-2 on an ace from junior Sarah Swinhart.
Providence (21-12) marched in front 19-6 on a kill from Chapman and 24-8 on a block from Roxanne Kramer.
A hitting miscue from Rim Of The World’s sophomore opposite hitter, Khloe Drexel ended the set.
In the second set, the Pioneers raced in front 5-2 on an ace from Chapman and it became 8-4 on a service winner from Swinhart.
Ho’s kill made it 9-6, Ho’s service ace pushed the cushion to 12-8 and junior Sydney Forlano’s service winner made it 16-9.
Senior Giselle Pacheco’s kill increased Providence’s lead to 19-12. A spike from Olivia Buhay made it 20-13 as the Fighting Scots needed a time out.
Providence then claimed five of the next six points and collected the second set on a hitting miscue from senior middle blocker Jaelyn Granado.
Rim Of The World’s best effort was the third set as it led 9-5 on a kill from freshman outside hitter Liv Stiansen and another winner from Stiansen made it 15-9.
Junior middle blocker Evangeline Juarez and Granado each had a hand in a stuff that made it 21-16 and Bagnell’s kill made the game official.
“That setter for Rim [Bagnell] was excellent, we knew she would dump the ball and she was still able to find spots on the court,” Tozlian said. “Their best hitter was hurt. She was very brave for toughing it out.”
