Cougars continue run in Sarasota

SARASOTA - There's something about Mooney. Essentially the same high school volleyball team that limped to the finish line after a 12-3 start last season has roared out of the blocks again. But this time, it might last.

Cardinal Mooney survived a mid-match crisis after taking a two-game lead Wednesday, holding off rival Sarasota High 25-22, 25-21, 15-25, 24-26, 15-8 in a non-district matchup.

The season is just nine days old, and already the Cougars (4-0 overall) have cleaned out the city, dispatching Riverview in four games and Booker in three last week.

"It's a good feeling," coach Aiko Averill said. "We do have a lot of seniors, so we're a little bit more experienced. I think it's the desire. We really are bonding as a team, all of us. We have something we didn't have last year."

The Cougars were 2-2 in five-gamers last fall and squandered its big early lead after a hitting error and an ace by Sarasota's Chelsea Lee (16 digs) snapped a 24-all tie in the fourth game.

But Mooney won 12 of the first 16 points in the deciding game. The last of 10 kills by senior Genny Casagrande made it 13-5, an errant Sailor serve pushed it to 14-7 and sophomore Katie Cermak's spike deflected off Samantha Messer's block to end it.

"It's not that we have a lot of new people, but the people have grown up," said senior Gigi Longpre, who finished with nine digs and two aces. "It's all started with the seniors."

Senior Cate Motosko (11 blocks, five kills), Erin Mooney (eight digs, eight blocks) and Emily Olivieri (35 assists) also had big nights, as was junior Lauren Kennedy (14 digs).

Sarasota's Paige Charron had 12 kills, while Tara Schiessle added eight aces and seven kills.

Schiessle's back-to-back aces capped a 5-0 run that pulled the Sailors (0-3) within 24-22 in the first game, but her next serve drifted wide. Cardinal Mooney closed the second game on a 6-1 run after Schiessle's kill had given Sarasota a 20-19 lead.

But an 11-2 run by the Sailors in the third turned the momentum.

"I think we're going to get better," said Sailors coach Kelly Risley. "It's a matter of finding the right mix. Our young kids are going to get better."

By DONNIE WILKIE Correspondent