’Canes sweep Titans, earn first win of season

Matt Metcalf
Posted 4/30/15

Nothing has come easy early in the season for the Warwick Vets and Toll Gate boys’ volleyball teams.

Both teams started the season at 0-6, but when the two teams met on Monday night, one of …

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’Canes sweep Titans, earn first win of season

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Nothing has come easy early in the season for the Warwick Vets and Toll Gate boys’ volleyball teams.

Both teams started the season at 0-6, but when the two teams met on Monday night, one of them was going to be one step closer to righting the ship.

The ’Canes proved to be that team, emerging victorious in the battle of cross-town rivals, picking up their first win with a 3-0 sweep of the Titans, notching 25-22, 25-12 and 25-21 wins.

When it was all said and done, there was no question that it was nice to get in the win column after enduring some struggles early.

“We knew that this was an important match,” ’Canes’ head coach Brendan Friel said. “We’ve been competitive with everyone in the first half, so I told them that if we get one or two wins here in the first half, then we can turn things around in the second half of the season.”

For the Titans, it was a deflating defeat. They had the first game tied, 22-22, before Vets’ Colin Lemire came up with three straight aces to take the first game. If that game went to Toll Gate, the match could’ve been completely different.

However, for the totality of the match, the Titans lacked consistency.

“That has been the story of the season,” Titans’ head coach Ryan Garno said. “We put together some really nice stretches, but we don’t have enough consistency.”

Vets ran away with game two to take a 2-0 lead, as seniors Kevin Martin and Davin Lourenco posted a pair of key blocks to shift the momentum in the second half of the game. That momentum carried the ’Canes to a 25-12 victory.

Lourenco was the difference in a closely-contested game three. Toll Gate was looking to salvage the match and swing the momentum in an attempt to force a fourth game, but Lourenco had other ideas, registering seven kills in the third game alone to put the match away.

For Vets, Lourenco provided the lift that it needed.

“I told the setter that Davin had it tonight and to keep feeding him the ball,” Friel said. “If he continues to progress like that, everyone else will feed off of it.”

Toll Gate’s Adam Brice had a key block and an ace in that third game, but the Titans just had too many unforced errors throughout the match.

The inexperienced Titans now sit at 0-7, but there has definitely been some improvement with every match.

“I think we’ve gotten better from match to match,” Garno said. “I feel like we’re heading in the right direction. In a match at Scituate last week, I felt like we were primed to turn a corner, and didn’t get it done. If that would’ve happened, then this match could’ve looked a little different. But they worked for it and outplayed us.”

Toll Gate will be searching for its first win today at 6 p.m. at East Greenwich. The Avengers are currently in third place in Division-II-South with a record of 5-2.

Now at 1-6, Vets will be looking to continue its winning ways in an attempt to make a playoff push entering the second half of the season.

The ’Canes were at 4-1 West Warwick on Wednesday night, but results were unavailable at press time.

“Hopefully we can edge a couple of people out of playoff spots by the end of the year,” Friel said.

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