All good things must come to an end
Frazier’s volleyball season ends in state quarterfinals
WEXFORD — Frazier volleyball comes into every season with high expectations, but after the Lady Commodores’ 3-1 setback to Maplewood in the quarterfinals of the PIAA Class A Championship tournament on Saturday at North Allegheny High School, Frazier head coach Mandy Hartman put the loss that ended her team’s season in perspective.
“Unless you are winning a state championship, you are ending your season on a loss,” Hartman said. “This team did a lot of great things this year, and they are great kids who have put in a lot of work. When you get to this point, it can go either way, but it didn’t go our way today.”
The Lady Commodores finished the season with a record of 15-5.
Maplewood, the District 10 champion, improved to 21-2, and will play WPIAL champion Eden Christian (18-4) in the semifinals on Tuesday at a site and time to be determined. The Lady Warriors defeated Berlin-Brothersvalley, 3-2, to advance to the final four.
“Maplewood is a great team with a great tradition and program, and they are well coached,” Hartman said. “I’m sure they did their homework, and I give them all the credit in the world. They earned it today.”
The Class A final is scheduled for Nov. 15 at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg. The first serve is set for 10:30 a.m.
Frazier opened up a 4-0 lead in the first set, and after senior Maddy Salisbury converted on one of her seven kills in the set, the Lady Commodores had a 6-1 advantage.
Salisbury led Frazier in kills with 13. Teammate and fellow senior Addison Schultz added nine kills in her final high school match. Senior Jayanna Ciferno was the third Lady Commodore who played in their last high school volleyball competition.
“She (Salisbury) has to hold her head high,” Hartman said. “I don’t think she’s played a bad game this year. She has been a true leader, and will go down as one of the greatest players to ever come out of the program. I am anxious, and can’t wait to see what she does at the collegiate level. We are not done reading about Maddy Salisbury, that’s for sure.
“All three of my seniors, though, have been great. They were very loyal to the program. Addison Schultz is going to have a great career at Wesleyan. Jayanna Ciferno has really stepped up in this playoff run, and has been really solid for us in the front row. I wish them the best. I love my seniors like I love all of them.”
Frazier couldn’t extend its lead to more than five points (11-6) in the first set, and the Lady Tigers chipped away at the deficit before tying the set at 14-14. There were also ties at 16-16 and 22-22, but the Lady Commodores won the last three points for a 25-22 victory and a 1-0 advantage.
Maplewood tied the match with a 25-14 triumph in the second set. The Lady Tigers had an 8-1 advantage, but Frazier stormed back and had a 13-12 edge before Mapletown closed the set on a 13-1 run.
With the match level after two sets, the third set was the key, as Lady Commodores kept battling, and despite only leading once at 2-1, Frazier tied the set at 23-23 on a kill by Allie Monack, but the Lady Tigers scored the final two points for a 2-1 advantage.
“It was (the third set) a momentum breaker for us,” Hartman said.
Maplewood had a 4-0 lead in the fourth set, and ran away with it to clinch a berth in the state semifinals.
Monack had a team-high 14 assists and Morgan Fisher added 13. Addison Hiles had 22 digs for the Lady Commodores.