With state championship at stake, Red Hawks turn to Cassidy Stankowski
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NORTHBOROUGH - When the state championship was on the line Saturday, there was little doubt where the Frontier Regional volleyball team was going to send the ball.
Late in the fourth game of Saturday’s ultra-competitive Division 3 tournament final against Case, it became Cassidy Stankowski time.
The Red Hawks junior blasted a pair of kills and followed with a big block for three of her team’s final four points in an epic 26-24 match-saving fourth game victory. Frontier then pulled out the fifth game for a 3-2 victory.
“If you’ve got one of the best players in the state and you’re down a couple of points, if you’re going to lose, it’s because (the opponent) blocked her or dug her,” said Red Hawks coach Sean MacDonald, whose team won its fourth state championship and second in a row.
Stankowski, arguably the best player in the state, posted 24 kills, 16 digs and five aces in the contest, but it was the explosion at the end of the fourth game that truly stood out.
With Frontier trailing 2-1 and behind 23-22 in the game, Courtney Parent sent a pass to the net for Stankowski, who crushed it to the middle, but Case was able to dig the ball and get it back over the net. Parent found Stankowski for another attempt and this time she drilled it even harder for the point and a 23-23 tie.
The teams traded points to 24-24 before Parent set up Stankowski again and the junior delivered with another thunderous kill to give her team a 25-24 lead.
“When Cassidy is on fire, I have to keep giving it to her,” Parent said. “I know she’s going to put it down and I just have to have faith in her.”
On the following point, Danielle Robillard of Case went for the kill, but Stankowski sent it right back over the net and down to the ground to end the game and even the match at 2-2.
“I definitely felt the momentum turn” during that run of points, Stankowski said. “They were on their heels and we felt it, We had to attack them right then and there before we lost our opportunity. We had a lot of energy and everyone was going crazy.”
Stankowski added five more kills early in the fifth game as Frontier jumped out to a 6-2 lead, which was key in weathering a run by the Cardinals back to 8-8 before the Red Hawks finally pulled away for good.
Stankowski credited the team’s hard conditioning work as key for the victory.
“We worked hard on and off season in the weight room and in the plyo room, building up endurance and strength,” said Stankowski, whose team had swept 22 of its prior 23 matches heading into Saturday’s championship. “That really helped us with the long rallies to not get as tired. (Assistant coach) Bernie (Sadoski) is our weight guy and I give him this win. His work really helped us. Our stamina was up the whole game and we just fought until the end.”
Adding to the sweetness of the victory for Stankowski was tying older sister Alyssa’s mark of two state championships. Alyssa led Frontier to titles in 2005 and 2006.
“I know she’s happy for me and I know she supports me, but to be able to tie her record is amazing,” Cassidy said. “I know when I get home, she’ll just give me a big hug. She’s definitely a great supporter of mine and I looked up to her my whole career.”
Jim Pignatiello can be reached at jpignatiello@gazettenet.com.
