FITCH PULLS OFF THE COMEBACK ON THE CARDINALS

CANFIELD OH- The matchup between Canfield and Fitch was one of the most anticipated matchups on the 2020 volleyball schedule. This match lived up to the hype as Fitch pulled off a dramatic comeback to beat Canfield in 5 sets (18-25 23-25 25-20 25-17 15-12).

The first set started off back and forth. It didn’t seem like either team was going to get a rally that was more than 2 points. That changed in the middle of the set when some key mistakes by the Falcons gave Canfield a cushioned lead, and eventually a dominating set 1 win 25-18.

Canfield carries that momentum into set two storming ahead 15-8. But with Ella Sahli serving, Fitch went on an 8-0 rally to take a 16-15 lead. The set would be back and forth from that point on, but Abbie Householder made some key plays to help the Cardinals pull out the 25-23 set and take a controlling 2-0 lead in the match.

For most teams it would be hard to bounce back from losing such a close set and be down 2-0. But the Falcons have strong senior leadership to keep them composed. Emma Bartlett did a fantastic job getting her streaky hitters the ball at the right time. The third set was the perfect time for Alyssa Leskovac to get hot. She made more than her fair share of solid swings in set three and four to help Fitch take both sets 25-20, and 25-17.

Fitch has all the momentum in set five. However, Canfield still came out scrappy. Grace Rosko continued to be a strong presence at the net. Householder still swung strong as well. It was the serving of Chelsie Wheeler, and Sahli down the stretch that helped the Falcons keep the Cardinals off balance. Sahli would end the match with an ace. Fitch completed the comeback with a 15-12 win in set five.

Fitch has three hitters with double digit kills. Chelsie Wheeler led the Falcons with 12. Alex Fisher, and Alyssa Leskovac each had 11. Cate Maguire has 7 blocks in the front row. Leskovac completed her double double with not just 11 kills, but also 14 digs. Bartlett also finished with a double-double with 42 assists and 17 digs.

Householder led the Cardinals with 24 kills.  Rosko had 13 kills and 5 blocks. Alaina Havrilla had a strong night with 8 kills. Riley Kinkade finished with 17 assists.

Fitch will move on to host Boardman on Tuesday. Canfield will travel to Highland on Saturday.