THE WARRIORS celebrate their thrilling, 3-2 road win over a strong Burlington team. Wakefield, 7-2 overall, is now ranked No. 4 in Div. 3 in the latest MIAA power rankings. (Courtesy Photo)
BURLINGTON — As the Wakefield Warrior volleyball team approaches mid-season, a lot of things are going right for the hard-working squad. First, an epic 3-2 victory over Burlington on Thursday, Sept. 28, a road game that went five sets and 2.5 hours, representing their most impressive win to date this season. The Warriors took it in sets of 27-25, 25-23, 13-25, 20-25 and 15-10 to improve to 6-2 overall (5-2 league).
Moreover, the MIAA released their first Power Rankings of the season last Friday which found Wakefield in an impressive No. 5 spot in Div. 3, a best-ever showing, which suggests this is a team that will certainly see playoff time. In the updated rankings from yesterday, the Warriors are ranked No. 4 behind only Nipmuc Regional (10-0), Weston (9-2) and Medfield (10-1).
Interestingly, this Burlington win shifts things around the Middlesex Freedom Division. The ML Freedom title is normally owned by Melrose and sometimes shared with Burlington (6-3, 5-2). But with the Red Devils falling to both Melrose and Wakefield last week, that sets the Warriors up for a stake in a ML Freedom league title, their first ever, should they continue their trajectory of beating winnable Freedom games and stealing ones from premiere rivals. That includes Melrose, who they will rematch at home on Oct. 17, after taking a set from Melrose in their 3-1 loss to them last month. Simply put, the Melrose game is going to be big.
Beating Burlington was a statement win for Wakefield, and a big night for senior Savannah Cummings who had 13 kills. Teammate Lila Arkenstall chipped in with 7 and Lea Carangelo had a big 30 assists as setter. Brooklyn Calder led in digs with 25 from a great back row effort with digs by Carangelo, Sophia Anderson, Mia Kenney and Maddie Keohane. It was an overall team effort however, with terrific serving from players such as Cummings, Keohane and Kenney and would later see Carangelo earn her 500th career assist.
“Burlington always is an aggressive team offensively. They are coached to swing hard and serve hard,” said Wakefield head coach Kayla Wyland after the game. “We knew that we were in for a challenging, intense match that will have long rallies. I know it will be another great match when we play them again at home.”
Wakefield took the first set 27-25, a well-earned slugfest of a win that set the tone for the night.
“The first set was challenging but everything we expected,” said the coach. “We knew it was going to be an intense, exciting game and studied our film. I was proud of how our team executed. Our defense was exceptional throughout the entire match. Also very clutch were serves from many of our players- including Lea in the ending parts of that set.”
Wakefield would lose the next two sets but quickly regrouped.
Says Wyland, “Burlington isn’t a team that goes out without a fight. They have a very strong outside hitter. They also served well which hurt us more in those two sets as well. By the middle of the 4th set we were able to get ourselves back in system which brought great momentum into the 5th set.”
Wakefield’s serving and back row defense was particularly strong and helped paved the way to victory.
Notes the coach, “Maddie Keohane has been unbelievable in the back row with her decision making, accuracy, and leadership. Sophia Anderson has been extremely scrappy, able to move to any ball coming her way. Brooklyn Calder looks effortless being able to defend as well as attack on the court. Mia Kenny’s composure as a sophomore defensively and offensively has impressed me so much. She stays focused, cool, calm and collected and determined to get the job done.”
The Warriors pushed their winning streak to three on Monday with a 3-0 win at home against Watertown, improving to 7-2 and 6-2 in the league.
Kenny was the player of the match in this one with 7 kills, 2 aces, 8 digs and 21 serve receptions. Cummings added 8 kills, 2 blocks and 2 aces. Keohane had 2 aces, 13 digs and 13 receptions. Carangelo had 19 assists, 6 digs and an ace.
There is lots of season to go, with some key Middlesex Large games on tap, including a road trip to a strong Belmont (7-1) tonight at 5:30 p.m. and a home game against Winchester on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. But with Wakefield firing on all cylinders, chances are good they will continue down this winning path as they embark on their second half of the season.
“Overall, everyone is a huge factor in our success and I was so proud of the girls,” said Wyland. “We were down by a large margin at some point in each match against Burlington and I spoke after about their perseverance and grit. It was huge to see how strong we really can be when our backs are against the wall.
“This is the strongest group of 14 we’ve ever had, and it is a huge reason why we have been successful. They played with such composure. I’m so proud to be their coach.”