Cassidy Stankowski of Frontier named Gazette Volleyball Player of the Year

Cassidy Stankowski's high school career places her among the most successful, most dominating athletes in Western Massachusetts sports history. And she's only just finished her junior year. The Frontier Regional superstar has accomplished so much and reached such a level of excellence that the adjectives commonly used to explain local standouts simply don't do her justice. She was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Massachusetts, the Daily Hampshire Gazette's Player of the Year and verbally committed to play on scholarship at Division I Central Connecticut State in the fall of 2012.

Cassidy Stankowski of Frontier named state Gatorade Volleyball Player of Year

The text messages started pouring into Frontier Regional junior Cassidy Stankowski's phone soon after 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning. They came from family, former teammates and friends all congratulating her for the latest - and biggest - honor she's received in her illustrious volleyball career, being named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Massachusetts. "It means so much because in the past years I have been beaten out by other girls," said Stankowski, who has been nominated three times and was the runner-up as a sophomore. "This year they chose me. It's a great feeling."

Cassidy Stankowski of Frontier named state Gatorade Volleyball Player of Year

The text messages started pouring into Frontier Regional junior Cassidy Stankowski’s phone soon after 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning. They came from family, former teammates and friends all congratulating her for the latest - and biggest - honor she's received in her illustrious volleyball career, being named the Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year. "It means so much because in the past years I have been beaten out by other girls," said Stankowski, who has been nominated three times and was the runner-up as a sophomore. "This year they chose me. It's a great feeling."

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Frontier Regional girls win fourth state volleyball title with epic 3-2 victory

NORTHBOROUGH - The third straight state volleyball tournament matchup between Frontier Regional and Case felt like the classic third fight in a storied heavyweight boxing rivalry. The teams traded haymakers throughout the contest Saturday, and it was the Red Hawks who outlasted the Cardinals for their second straight state Division 3 tournament championship with a 3-2 victory at Algonquin Regional. It didn't look good at times for the Red Hawks (23-1), but the squad showed off impressive resiliency to win 23-25, 25-18, 17-25, 26-24, 15-11 in what will go down as an all-time classic.

• Related stories: Red Hawks turn to Stankowski

Kate Harper recovers to help win another state title

Kate Harper recovers to help Frontier volleyball win another state title

NORTHBOROUGH - Kate Harper knows she gets down on herself too much on the volleyball court.

"I think I'm the worst on the team," the Frontier Regional volleyball junior hitter said. "When I get down, it's really hard to get back up."

Frontier volleyball wins fourth state title with epic victory over Case

NORTHBOROUGH - The third straight state volleyball tournament matchup between Frontier Regional and Case felt like the classic third fight in a storied heavyweight boxing rivalry.

Kate Harper recovers to help Frontier volleyball win another state title

NORTHBOROUGH - Kate Harper knows she gets down on herself too much on the volleyball court.

"I think I'm the worst on the team," the Frontier Regional volleyball junior hitter said. "When I get down, it's really hard to get back up."

With state championship at stake, Red Hawks turn to Cassidy Stankowski

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.

Frontier Regional, Case meet again for state volleyball championship

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.

Experienced Longmeadow sweeps Amherst Regional in girls volleyball final

HOLYOKE - When it came to the opponent, the Amherst Regional girls volleyball team knew what to expect. The Hurricanes had taken on Longmeadow twice during the regular season, falling 3-1 each time to the experienced Lancers.

Frontier Regional wins seventh straight sectional girls volleyball title

HOLYOKE For the seventh straight year, its back to the states.

Frontier Regional School won its seventh straight Western Massachusetts Division III girls volleyball championship with a 25-13, 25-7, 25-11 verdict over Mahar Regional School on Saturday at the Bartley Center.

Championship 'extra special' for Frontier Regional coach Missy Mahar

SOUTH HADLEY - Missy Mahar waited six years for this championship. What's an extra 21 minutes, 50 seconds?

After leading her alma mater Frontier Regional to back-to-back Western Massachusetts Division 2 Tournament titles in 2004 and 2005, the Red Hawks finally raised the trophy again Friday afternoon at Mount Holyoke College.

Frontier cruises into girls volleyball final, seeks seventh straight title

SOUTH DEERFIELD - On to the finals again.

Defending state champion and top-seeded Frontier Regional got off to a hot start and cruised to a 25-4, 25-18, 25-16 victory over fifth-seeded Lee in the semifinals of the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Girls Volleyball Tournament at Goodnow Gymnasium Thursday.

Jamie Hoyle powers Amherst Regional to volleyball final

WILLIAMSTOWN - The Mount Greylock volleyball team used Elise Masson at libero to bolster the back line in preparation for Amherst Regional on Thursday. But that's not where the Mounties had trouble.

Jamie Hoyle sparks Amherst Regional girls volleyball over Bombers

AMHERST - Amherst Regional coach Kacey Schmitt was nervous for a moment as she watched senior Jamie Hoyle hobbling toward the Hurricane bench in game three of Tuesday's Western Massachusetts Division 2 Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal.

Top-seeded Frontier Regional girls volleyball sweeps Lenox

SOUTH DEERFIELD - It was far from a perfect performance. In fact, head coach Sean MacDonald probably won't even consider it great.

For the most part, however, it was dominant.

Belchertown girls volleyball ousted by Lenox

The No. 9-seeded Belchertown girls volleyball team won the first set but lost 24-26, 25-19, 25-18, 25-22 at No. 8 Lenox in the first round of the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Tournament on Monday.

Lenox (11-6) moves on to face six-time sectional champ Frontier Regional (18-1-0) at 6:30 tonight in South Deerfield.

The Orioles finished 11-9.

Mahar sweeps Easthampton girls volleyball in tourney quarterfinal

ORANGE - After winning the first set of its Western Massachusetts Division 3 Girls Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal, Mahar found itself in a precarious situation in the second set against Easthampton on Monday night.

Easthampton volleyball recovers from slow start to sweep Pioneer Christian

EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton volleyball coach Molly Jacobson watched her team trying to shake off some rust early in Friday’s match. She only hoped her Eagles could battle to a first-game victory and then right the ship in the second. "I was thinking the entire time that if we could just get the win, we could then figure out what we needed to do differently," she said. "If we could take the momentum into the second game, I knew we could recover and bounce back from there." Easthampton did just that, overcoming four service errors and multiple mishits to topple Pioneer Christian 25-23 in the first game and then cruised to scores of 25-9, 25-18 for a 3-0 victory in the first round of the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Tournament.

• Related story: Frontier primed to seek seventh straight sectional title

Frontier Regional girls volleyball primed to seek seventh straight sectional title

The best result of the Frontier Regional volleyball team's trip to last weekend's Medfield Playdate was the lack of injuries heading into the postseason. Red Hawks coach Sean MacDonald had visions of last year's event, which his team won, but paid for when star player Cassidy Stankowski suffered shin splints afterward. Stankowski sat out Frontier's first three postseason contests last year, but the Red Hawks cruised through anyway. She returned and led the team to an undefeated season and a state Division 3 title. Frontier (18-1) is eyeing its seventh straight Western Massachusetts Division 3 title and its fourth state title over that time.