Pats sweep Hawks, snap three-game skid

Jacob Marrocco
Posted 5/14/15

Pilgrim boys’ volleyball head coach Michael McGiveron said he was not expecting a sweep when his team played Bishop Hendricken on Tuesday at home, but that is exactly what he got.

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Pats sweep Hawks, snap three-game skid

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Pilgrim boys’ volleyball head coach Michael McGiveron said he was not expecting a sweep when his team played Bishop Hendricken on Tuesday at home, but that is exactly what he got.

The Patriots (6-6) snapped a three-game losing streak when they beat the Hawks in their only cross-Division-I matchup of the year. Pilgrim took the first and second set, 25-20, before winning more decisively in the third, 25-17. Senior Robert Quaine’s 13 kills led the way for Pilgrim with junior Ethan Schneider picking up eight of his own. Pilgrim junior Dan Peladeau had 24 digs on the night.

McGiveron said the team was able to “avenge” a comeback loss from just more than one year ago, when the Pats took the first set, but eventually fell 3-2.

“They had that in the back of their minds,” McGiveron said. “They took it really bad last year and I think this year they just wanted to come out and have a really solid game from the start.”

The Pats wanted a solid start, but both squads came out sloppy. They exchanged points on service errors and shots out-of-bounds, but stayed within three points of each other for most of the first set. Quaine put the Pats up 10-8 with a spike, but hitting misjudgments allowed the Hawks to tie it again at 10.

Pilgrim then went on a 6-2 run that forced Hendricken head coach Michael Harrington to call a timeout. Hendricken violations, such as touching the net, and service errors allowed the Pats to extend a lead they would not lose.

“We had some good sets that we just hit long, we missed some serves early,” Harrington said. “Then we just didn’t really play great defense either. I feel like our focus just was not as sharp as Pilgrim’s focus. I feel like they wanted to win this match more than we wanted to win. The scores were close to show you that both teams are skilled and competitive, but they had the edge tonight in a few areas.”

Schneider’s cross-court kill put Pilgrim up 18-13, but missteps from the Pats ensured the Hawks would not go quietly. A service error brought Hendricken within three, 19-16, but the teams exchanged mistakes for the next few volleys. Eventually Pilgrim built a 24-19 lead with Quaine’s poke over the net, and Schneider finished off the Hawks in the first set with a kill of his own.

It was more of the same for Quaine in the second set.

With the score tied at 11 after a Pilgrim serve went awry, he took control. His kill on a long volley put the Pats up 13-12, which he followed up soon after with another spike. He tipped the ball over the net to put Pilgrim up 17-14, and Peladeau’s service ace extended that lead to four.

“[Quaine]’s been great all year,” McGiveron said. “He’s been the most consistent player I’ve had all year. He’s one of the best outside hitters in the state. When we get him the ball in the right spot, he does great things and I can’t say enough about him. He’s up there with some of the top players in the state.”

With Hendricken (5-7) down in the crucial match, senior captain Nathan Gyampo rose to the occasion showing his dynamic ability to be all over the court. He kept his team within four through delivering tough-angle shots back over the net, including a poke that cut the deficit to three. Fellow senior captain Daniel Flaherty registered a kill to make it 22-20, but the Pats scored three unanswered to claim the middle set.

Gyampo took over early in the third set, determined to bring his team back. His point put the Hawks on top 3-1 early, and junior Richard Nardella assisted Gyampo on his next kill to pad their lead. The kills kept coming for Gyampo, who helped the Hawks out to an 8-5 advantage.

“Nate’s a fantastic athlete and leader for the team,” Harrington said. “He’s a guy who is always bringing full effort all the time, and that’s all that a coach would ever want…Nate’s a leader and a winner and I’m glad he’s on our side.”

The Pats continued to battle back, though. Pilgrim sophomore Jamal Martey’s kill and an out-of-bounds shot from the Hawks allowed the home team to get within one. Pilgrim jumped out to a 12-10 lead before errors became abundant once more.

Peladeau could not elevate on one return attempt, which led to a Hendricken point. A Hawks’ service error put the Pats up 13-11, but a service error on the other side of the court brought the lead down to one again. Then, another bad serve from the Hawks brought the Pilgrim advantage back to two.

“We do serve aggressively, you know, but there’s just some times in just wrong spots where I just kind of want guys to put it in and let us play the defense and go,” McGiveron said, citing serves as something his team needs to improve upon.

The mistakes continued as a Pats’ shot hit the net and gave Hendricken a point, while the Hawks answered with two straight carries. An out-of-bounds Pilgrim shot brought Hendricken within three, 17-14, late in the set.

Peladeau’s fingertip dig, which led to an 18-14 Pats’ lead, sparked a 7-3 Pilgrim run to close out the game. The lead extended to as many as six points after Hendricken junior Matthew Russell misplayed the ball in front of the net, allowing it to drop in front of him. Schneider’s final kill of the night sealed the victory for Pilgrim.

The Pats, who are now 5-2 at home, will play two of their final four games at Pilgrim, including one against Coventry (10-1). One of their two road games comes against Chariho (1-11), whom they swept at home on April 21.

The Hawks, who are also superior at home with a 4-2 record, play three of their last four match-ups at Hendricken. They will have the benefit of hosting two of the best teams in Division-I-North, Mount St. Charles (9-2) and East Providence (7-4). Their only contest away from Warwick is at Barrington (0-12), which has yet to win a set in league play this season.

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