Go
Saints!

Thursday
March 28th, 2024

semiatnetSeward’s Thais Vieira (15) and Laura De Pra (7) put up a wall against Miami?Dade’s Scherine Dahoue while Djuly Schmorantz (9) prepares for a dig Friday in the natonal semifinal match. Seward won in five sets to advance to the first-ever national championship mtch in school history. Photo courtesy NJCAABy EARL WATT

Leader & Times

After jumping out to a two-set lead, the Lady Saints struggled to put Miami Dade away in the semifinal match of the NJCAA National Tournament, but a late rally in a fourth-set loss gave Seward the momentum they needed to get a fifth-set win and advance to the first-ever national championship final in school history.

Seward was the dominant team in the first two sets, and they kept the Sharks from putting together runs.

In close back-and-forth play, the Lady Saints strung together two-point and three-point runs just enough to maintain slim leads.

Miami Dade had a 10-9 lead before Yanlis Feliz dropped a kill, and Laura De Pra followed with two straight service aces to give the Lady Saints a 12-10 advantage.

Seward fell behind 15-14, but a 5-1 run that included two more services aces from De Pra gave the Lady Saints a 19-16 lead.

Seward stretched the lead to 24-18 and finished the set 25-20.

Miami Dade started the second set with a 4-2 lead, but a 4-0 run by the Lady Saints reversed the advantage to 6-4 Seward, and the Sharks would never regain the lead in the set.

The Lady Saints grew the lead to as much as eight before winning the second set 25-18.

Seward only needed one more set win to advance to the national title, but Miami Dade battled back after falling behind 5-1 in the third set.

Miami Dade took a 9-8 lead after the slow start and stretched it to a 15-12 lead.

Seward kept the set close but could not regain the lead, and Miami Dade took the third set 25-21.

With momentum on their side, the Sharks continued to keep Seward out of system in the fourth set.

Miami Dade opened with a 3-0 run and stretched the lead to 7-2 after an early time out by Seward coach Tony Trifonov.

Miami Dade doubled up the Lady Saints at 10-5 before Seward strung together a run to narrow the gap to 12-10.

But Miami Dade went on another run powered by strong outside hitting to take a commanding 19-11 lead, and they kept the gap at eight until they had a 21-13 advantage.

But the lady Saints fought back with a 6-0 run including two kills by De Pra, and the Lady Saints cut Miami Dade’s lead to 21-19.

Miami Dade ended the run with a shot down the line that was called in, and the Lady Saints continued to press to cut the lead to 23-22.

Miami Dade was able to hold off the Seward rally and tie the match a 2-2 with s 25-22 win.

But the late momentum Seward built paid off in the fifth and final set.

Miami Dade scored the first point of the race-to-15 fifth set, but Seward answered, and neither team had an early advantage in a 3-3 draw.

Seward broke the tie with a 5-0 run including a kill by Mesalina Severino and a service ace from Feliz, and the Lady Saints had an 8-3 lead.

Seward continued to take advantage of the Sharks miscues, and a service ace from De Pra gave the Lady Saints a 10-4 lead.

Miami Dade trimmed the lead to 11-6, but the momentum of the Lady Saint attack continued to pour on the points, and another De Pra service ace gave Seward a commanding 13-6 lead.

Miami Dade fought off one match point at 14-8, but a kill shot from Feliz ended the match 15-8, and the Lady Saints celebrated their first-ever trip to the NJCAA volleyball championship.

Livia and Laura De Pra combined for six aces with three each, and Seward had nine as a team to Miami Dade’s two.

Feliz dominated for the Lady Saints with 21 kills. Djuly Schmorantz added 15 kills, and Ariana Arciniega had 11.

Grecia Soriano kept the ball off the floor with 17 digs. Arciniega and Feliz each had 14 digs, Schmorantz had 13, and Laura De Pra had 10.

No. 3 Seward faced No. 1 Navarro late Saturday in the national championship match.

EARL WATT • Leader & Times

 

Two first round upsets busted brackets early in the Bracketbuster [ ... ]

Read more...

Taylor Harding (4) gets a high five from Lexi Miller after scoring a run against Bucklin Friday. Harding [ ... ]

Read more...

Special to the Leader & Times

 

The swimming season kicked off at the Northwest Invitational [ ... ]

Read more...