Friday, October 30, 2009

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Raquel Scott scored the first four points of the match and got IHA off and running toward its two-game sweep of Pascack Hills in the semifinals of the Bergen County Tournament.

OLD TAPPAN – For an underdog, the key is a quick start that plants the seed of an upset early and maybe makes the favorite play tight. But IHA, the No. 1 seed in the Bergen County Volleyball Tournament, never gave Pascack Hills, which was making its first ever appearance in the county semifinals, that chance in the Final 4 on Friday night.

Raquel Scott opened the first set with four straight kills and IHA won the first six points of the match before rolling to a 25-8, 25-19 win at Northern Valley/Old Tappan High School.

“If you saw us in the hallway before the game, we were loose and we were ready to go. You could tell that we had confidence,” said IHA co-head coach Mike DeCastro. “We watched that first match [between Ramapo and Old Tappan] and it was exciting, but we just tried to remind the girls that we were playing Pascack Hills tonight and that they had to stay focused on only them. They did that.”

Did they ever. After Pascack Hills snuck to within 8-4 in the first game, IHA won 12 of the next 13 points to forge a 20-5 lead and three of the points it surrendered to that point were on its own errors. Two points in particular showed just how well the Blue Eagles were playing, not just individually but as a team.

Sarah Hanrahan led Pascack Hills with 4 kills and 6 digs.

Already ahead 18-5 IHA made one of its few mistakes when setter Kristen Flatekval pushed a set just a little to high for Petra Parros in the middle. The result? Parros adjusted her body in midair and hit a cross court winner anyway. Then, leading by a 21-6 score, Flatekval set Danielle Michaels twice in the same rally only two see the Pascack Hills block get hands on both attempts. When the ball came back over, Flatekval went right back to Michaels and the third time was the charm she hit through the block and earned IHA the point.

IHA was just as effective when it top hitter, Ariel Scott, was in the front row as it was when she was in the back. Stuck on the end line during a seven-point run engineered mostly by her teammates, Ariel Scott had three digs, two on the same point, as she found a way to contribute by keeping points alive.

“One of Ariel’s biggest improvements this year has been her defense,” said DeCastro. “She always been athletic, but she has focused more on it during her club season and we certainly stress it. We stress defense and serve receive in practice and it is paying off.”

Ariel Scott knocked down a kill from the middle to open the second game and IHA opened a 13-7 lead that swelled to 20-9 before Pascack Hills was able to rally. The Cowgirls got as close as 22-16, and fought off four match points before finally succumbing when Ariel Scott tipped home the final point of the match that sent IHA into the final and Pascack Hills into the state tournament with plenty of big game experience that none of its players had before the start of this county tournament.

Danielle Michaels gave IHA another solid option on the outside.

“I felt like my girls were going for balls and they were digging balls and they were having rallies, it’s just that we didn’t end up on the right side of them,” said Pascack Hills head coach Shawn MacDonald. “My girls tried, I can’t fault them for not trying, but we had a little too many hitting errors and to beat the best you have to be flawless.”

IHA was nearly flawless and the Scott sisters combined for 31 kills. Raquel Scott led the way with 16 and Ariel Scott had 15 while Flatekval finished with 23 assists and libero Michelle Cruz dug up six balls to lead the Eagles in that category.

Pascack Hills got four kills from Sarah Hanrahan and she also tied for the team-high in digs with 6. Kristen Reindel also had 6 digs for the Cowboys (15-4), who also got 12 assists from setter Jess Lomia.

Now top-seeded IHA can turn its attention to Sunday’s county final where it will get another shot at Old Tappan. That match will not only feature two of New Jersey’s top teams, but also two of the state’s best hitters in Ariel Scott and OT junior Aiyana Whitney.

It will be a game within the game and it should be fun to watch.

“I think we are going to have to be smart and really know who they have up front every time. We know it is not just Aiyana, they have multiple hitters and we are going to keep an eye out for where they are going and who has the hot hand,” said DeCastro. “They set whoever is hitting well and we have to be aware.”

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