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caption, page 2:
Celebrate
Woodstock players and coaches celebrate after recording a 3-0 win over Pomperaug in a Class L state tournament quarterfinal. Photo by Bradley O’Connor.
Centaurs go
to semifinals
It’s back to the state semifinals for Centaurs volleyball
The match ended and the music began. So did the dancing.
The Woodstock Academy volleyball team has made it a habit after victories this season, everybody, including coaches Adam Bottone and Jeremiah Huntt, get out on the floor and get jiggy with it.
Nov. 12, that dance was especially euphoric.
The 12th-seeded Centaurs, for the second time in what is essentially three seasons (there was no volleyball state tournament in 2020) advanced to the Class L state tournament semifinals with a shutout victory over No. 13 Pomperaug, 3-0 in a quarterfinal match.
The semifinal berth comes just a year after Woodstock failed to even make the state tournament.
“I knew I was going to take my lumps last year going with a bunch of young kids but that definitely paid off this year. Am I surprised to make it to the semifinals? Yes and no. Yes, because we’ve been so up-and-down this year but no because I know we have the talent to do it,” said coach Adam Bottone.
One of those youngsters is sophomore setter Sophie Gronski who said the last time the team got to that point was in 2019 when her sister (Maddy) was on the team.
On that team, as a freshman, was one of this year’s seniors, Leila MacKinnon.
How much does she remember from 2019? “Nothing - so it should be good, “MacKinnon said with a laugh.
The Centaurs faced the top seed in the Class L tournament, undefeated Joel Barlow, Nov. 16. Barlow also won by shutout, 3-0, over No. 8 Platt High School.
There is a history between the two teams.
Barlow downed Woodstock, 3-2, in the 2018 Class L state championship match. The Centaurs downed Barlow, 3-0, in the Class L semifinals the year before that.
The Centaurs served and received much better against the Panthers but what they probably did best was hustle.
“Our girls are pursuing everything now,” Adam Bottone said.
Two of the three sets with Pomperaug were contested with the first going overtime.
The Panthers fought back from a 24-21 deficit to tie the match at 24.
A service error gave the Centaurs (15-9) a chance for set point and they cashed in when a tip by Gronski just over the net was unable to be returned for the 26-24 Woodstock win.
The Centaurs had an easier time in the second set.
The last point Pomperaug would get came on a service error to make it 18-14.
Woodstock scored the next seven points on three kills by Morgan Bonin (10 kills, 10 digs), another by Reegan Reynolds and six consecutive service points by Cassidy Ladd including a set-ending ace.
The Centaurs put together another strong finish in the third set after the Panthers pulled within one, 21-20.
A Pomperaug service error was followed by one of three aces by Liliana Bottone. MacKinnon followed with a big kill off one of Gronski’s 22 assists to set up match point.
MacKinnon finished with five kills and a block.
The Centaurs got their dance shoes on when a return by Pomperaug went long for the 25-20 third set victory to conclude the shutout.
Liliana Bottone finished with nine kills, four assists, and 14 digs. Ladd added 10 service points including two aces and Gronski had 18 digs to go with her 22 assists.
The Centaurs would like a little revenge on Barlow.
They got some against Guilford last week in a second-round match.
Woodstock posted a 3-1 win Nov. 10 and was rewarded for its efforts with the home match against Pomperaug since the Panthers downed No. 4 Berlin, 3-2., to set up the meeting in Woodstock.
Liliana Bottone had seven of her 22 kills in the first set when the Centaurs opened the match with a 25-19 victory in the first set.
Guilford battled back for a 26-24 win in the second set but Woodstock finished things off with 25-17 and 25-21 decisions.
Liliana Bottone added 16 digs and four aces while Gronski had 37 assists and 19 digs and Bonin had 17 kills, 20 digs and four aces.
The Centaurs had a week off between their loss in the ECC quarterfinals and used that time to work on serve/receive.
Nov. 8 Woodstock shutout No. 21 Brookfield, 3-0.
The biggest takeaway was the errors did not come at crucial times in the match.
The Centaurs scored nine of the final 13 points in each against the Bobcats (9-12) to win by the identical score of 25-16.
The third set was a bit more difficult as Brookfield pulled within one, 21-20.
A kill by MacKinnon, one of her five in the match, put Woodstock back up by two and then Reynolds (5 kills) followed with a kill of her own to make it 23-20.
Bonin delivered just about the finishing touch with her fourth block of the match, but a service error delayed the celebration for just a moment. The Centaurs wrapped things up, 25-21, when the Bobcats were called for a net violation.
Early in the week, Bonin also learned her senior season will be extended by one match.
She has been chosen to play in the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Senior Class LL-L Senior All-Star match Nov. 21.
Liliana Bottone paced the Centaurs will 11 kills against Brookfield while Gronski had 21 assists.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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