BOURNE – The sultry, heavy, late summer air did nothing to silence the Bourne High School gymnasium Thursday night.
In a postseason-like atmosphere, the Bourne High volleyball team (1-0) staged a 3-2 comeback victory for the ages against the talented Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School girls and in so doing set the potential tone for what promises to be an autumn to remember.
Bourne High was relentless in its season-opening volleyball win against Dennis-Yarmouth Thursday night.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
After dropping the first set, 25-22, to the visiting Dolphins (0-2), head coach Aimee Jarominski’s Lady Canalmen came roaring back for a 25-21, set two victory to knot the game at 1-1. Dennis-Yarmouth got its dander up in the third match and took it somewhat decisively with a 25-18 win but still the hosts remained unfazed.
Down two games to one, Bourne again staged a comeback effort that was nothing short of brilliant. Behind in the set, 7-5, the hosts ripped off point after point until they took a 10-8 lead and it would prove to be a lead they would not relinquish en route to a 25-20 win and a 2-2 tie that forced a tiebreaking match.
That momentum – bolstered by a superlative fan section – gave Bourne what it needed to build a quick, 3-0 lead before D-Y turned things back on at full speed, thanks in large part to the sheer athleticism and strength of sophomore Abbey Criser. Criser, who finished the night with a phenomenal 23 kills and 22 digs, was relentless.
“They’re a great program,” Coach Jarominski conceded. “We knew it was going to be a close match and it was.”
The efforts of such Bourne stalwarts as senior Miranda Partosan (9 aces, 9 kills, 10 digs) and senior Tina Ruggeri (4 aces, 10 digs) combined with sophomores Alyson Hickey (4 aces, 7 digs, 20 assts.) and Leah Hidenfelter (24 digs) proved a more than formidable match for the visiting Dolphins.
Dennis-Yarmouth was in the game every step of the way.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
Tack on a home crowd stomping in unison on the bleachers and chanting “Drown the Dolphins” and Bourne’s relentlessness inside a stifling gym made for unwelcome confines for the visitors.
Still, Dennis-Yarmouth gave back everything it took.
Eighth grader Josie Deluga poured out a remarkable 26 digs while sister Taylor Deluga, a sophomore, collected 20 digs. Dolphin junior co-captan Olivia Dannewitz added 27 assists.
“It was a good game,” said Dennis-Yarmouth head coach Dru Sisson. “We are very young.”
Down 3-0 in the tiebreaking set, Dennis-Yarmouth stormed back to make it a 4-4 tie thanks in large part to Abbey “The Hammer” Criser but the sheer tenacity of such Bourne players as Ruggeri and Hickey kept the hosts in contention.
Down 10-6, though, Coach Jarominski opted for a time out and it proved invaluable.
Holding a lead until it was 12-11, Bourne tied it at 12-12 and then never looked back on its way to a 15-12 win.
One could have cut the intensity in the Bourne High gym with a knife.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
“I’m really proud of my team for really stepping up,” Jarominski said. “We’re coming back from a hard season so the fact that we were able to step up our game and that our defense is on point right now… but most importantly those girls are playing as a team. It was a team effort. I loved it.”
Dennis-Yarmouth next faces Sandwich on Monday in an Atlantic Coast League match-up at 5:30 pm.
Bourne returns to action tonight (Friday, Sept. 11) at home at 6:00 pm against South Coast Conference rival Old Rochester.
— Story, video and photos by Sean Walsh, sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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