Frontier Regional, Case meet again for state volleyball championship
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SOUTH DEERFIELD - First it was North Reading. Now it is Case.
The Frontier Regional volleyball team (22-1) is onto its second continued state tournament rivalry in recent years and squares off against the Cardinals (23-1) of Swansea for the third straight postseason Saturday at noon in the state Division 3 championship at Algonquin Regional in Northborough.
"They've been doing the same thing for three years, so it's probably going to be the same type of stuff that we've talked about," senior middle Kelsey Abramson said. "We know that they can pass like anything. It's going to be some long rallies and we'll be ready for that."
It will be a rubber match in the series, as Case ousted the Red Hawks from the 2009 state semifinals 3-1 and Frontier returned the favor 3-0 in last year's state championship. The state volleyball tournament rotates its state semifinal opponents each season.
The Cardinals returned their entire squad from last year and the teams squared off in what MacDonald deemed a very competitive match late in the Medfield playdate. Frontier spent time this week looking at the film.
"They are very scrappy. They don't quit on anything. They do have the exact same team, but they are better than last year," said MacDonald, whose team has won seven straight WMass titles. "Rallies are going to be longer. They are going to dig a lot of stuff. (Frontier standout junior) Cassidy (Stankowski) is going to get dug a lot; she's going to get blocked. We are going to be in for much longer rallies.
"Longer rallies are going to favor them because their passing is superb. We want to keep the points short, jump on them, attack the ball and go out quick."
As with last year, Case is a strong defensive team that will get to more kill attempts than nearly all of Frontier's prior opponents this season.
"We know they are going to dig a lot," senior Courtney Parent said. "We'll maybe have to switch it up, tip a little more, but just keep working hard."
The Cardinals are certainly fired up for another shot at the Red Hawks.
"All I've got to say is we're getting revenge on Frontier, plain and simple," senior setter Megan Armburg said to The Herald News this week. "This is our last year and I want revenge."
Senior libero Kaylee Leduc added, "I am so excited. Honestly, words can't describe it. I am so ready to face Frontier. I think it's going to be an amazing game. It's going to be the game to watch. But I am doing anything in my power to take them down. Anything. I will sacrifice my entire body for that game."
Before the rivalry with the Cardinals, Frontier had a similar yearly meeting with North Reading. From 2005 to 2008, the squads met each year in the state tourney and split their four matches. The Red Hawks won the state semifinal in 2005 and the final in 2006. The Hornets took the state final in 2007 and the semifinal in 2008.
"We kept running into (North Reading) and now it's happening with Case," MacDonald said. "North Reading got moved to Division 2, Case got moved from Division 2 down to Division 3 and now we keep running into them."
This year's Red Hawks overcame the graduation of seven seniors, including three all-state players in Katy and Tori Daniels and Kendra Ouimette.
But Frontier still has junior standout Stankowski, arguably the best player in the state, and MacDonald has been thrilled with the entire team's growth since the beginning of the season.
Stankowski, who has already eclipsed the 1,000 kill mark, had 189 kills during the regular season to go with 93 digs and 36 aces. Courtney Parent (45 kills, 49 aces, 48 digs, 165 assists), Marie Wheeler (35 aces, 44 digs, 132 assists) and Abramson, the team's top blocker along with Stankowski, have all enjoyed strong senior seasons, while the emergence of juniors Kate Harper (58 kills, 57 digs) at outside hitter and Julia Wan (49 aces, 39 kills) at middle, have been key to the team's continued success.
The key has been "constant improvement. I'm very proud of the girls to be back in the state finals after losing three all-state players," MacDonald said. "We graduated over half our starting lineup. It was not a given even to get out of western Mass. at the beginning of the season. We're very happy about it. We changed some of the stuff we do in practice to get more reps and more practice in the two hours we have. It's been paying off."
Despite the turnover, Frontier cruised back to the state finals. The Red Hawks, who are eyeing their fourth state title under MacDonald, have lost just three games all season, all in a 3-2 loss at defending state Division 1 champion Barnstable.
Now the seniors get a chance to end their careers the same way as last year's graduating class - with a state title win against Case.
"Being a senior definitely means a lot. You know you don't have another year to go after it," Parent said. "To be able to play for a state championship as a senior is a big deal. (Winning) it would mean the world. It would be the greatest feeling ever."
Jim Pignatiello can be reached at jpignatiello@gazettenet.com.
