Commodores seize control, thump GCC

Frazier dominated the 3rd and 4th sets to end Greensburg Central Catholic’s 7-game winning streak.

Throughout the last twoplus decades, the Frazier volleyball team has had a lot of statement wins.

Add another one to the list. The Commodores came out swinging Thursday night and steamrolled to a 3-1 triumph over visiting Greensburg Central Catholic to remain atop of the Section 4-1A standings.

“We haven’t been playing well recently,” Frazier coach Mandy Hartman said. “We were just missing something. The last two days of practice changed some things for us. These girls have worked so hard and they bought into the game plan tonight. We knew GCC was going to take the fight right at us.”

After the home team won the first set 25-21, GCC came back with a 25-17 win. It was all Frazier in the final two sets, as the Commodores (73, 5-0) recorded set wins of 25-14 and 25-11.

With the win, Frazier swept the regular-season series against the Centurions (8–2, 3-2). The last time these two squads clash, the Commodores won the final three sets for a 3-2 win on the road Sept. 5.

Coming into the contest, both Frazier and GCC were ranked as the top two teams in Class A.

“We have so many good hitters on the team and it makes my job that much easier,” said senior setter Gracen Hartman, who finished with 54 assists. “We have more than just one option. In a given moment, I know who is hot and who is hitting everything. I have so much trust in my hitters.”

Frazier’s hitting and blocking were once again critical pieces in the win, as they had to deal with GCC’s 5-foot-9 hitter Ashlyn Black. The home team threw plenty of options at the visitors’ net and their mixture of hitters proved to the real difference maker in the contest.

“She’s a solid hitter for them,” Coach Hartman said of Black. “But our strength is our hitters. Anyone of them can step up and take over a game. It is a special group and I am happy about the way we all came out. Gracen had a solid night passing, and as a team we just really gelled.”

One of those hitters was junior Addison Schultz, who posted a stellar game with 17 kills, 12 service points and nine blocks.

“It’s all about playing with confidence and poise,” Schultz said. “Club (volleyball) has helped me a lot, but to be honest my love for volleyball has grown so much since middle school. I know how badly I want it and I know how badly my team wants it this season. We are pushing each other every day.”

Allie Monack was also in double-figures in kills with 13, while Maddy Salisbury added seven. Grace Vaughn chipped in with four blocks and tallied five of her six kills on the night in the fourth set. Addison Hiles tallied 29 digs and 14 service points.

After GCC went up 4-0 in the opening set, Frazier rebounded with 12 of the next 20 points. The Commodores’ first lead of the night was at 12-11 after a kill by Monack.

The squads exchanged points the next couple of volleys before Frazier broke away from a 19-19 tie with four straight points. The run was punctuated with back-to-back kills by Schultz.

“Addison (Schultz) is probably our best blocker and she knew she had to pick up her all-around game tonight,” Coach Hartman said. “I always tell people that when she was younger, nobody could have predicted she was going to be a stud for us. I had to practically drag her out to play in middle school. But once she got into the gym, she fell in love with the sport.”

The Centurions took the next two points to make it 23-21, but the Commodores regrouped and secured the opening set victory with the final two points courtesy of a service out of bounds and a hitting error.

GCC jumped out to a 13-4 advantage in the second set and forced the home team to call a timeout. Frazier rallied back and made it 14-9 after consecutive points by at the service line by Vaughn, but the visitors countered with a 6-2 spurt.

Leading 20-11, the Centurions closed out the second set with an eight-point win and even things up.

The Commodores collected the first three points of the third set, two of which came from service points by Addison Day. The Centurions battled back to make it 11-11, but Frazier rattled off six unanswered points to take firm control of the set.

After three straight points by GCC, Frazier emphatically ended the set with an 8-0 run. Monack and Schultz combined on a block for the set-winning point.

“When I face another tough hitter for the other team, that makes me play even harder,” Schultz said. “We knew Greensburg had revenge on their minds after we came back and won at their place. But we had to protect our home court. We had the right mentality tonight.”

Trailing 6-5 in the third set, the Commodores unleashed another lengthy run and left no doubt on who the top team in the section was with 11 consecutive points. Schultz picked up some aces in the spree, while Vaughn started to heat up with some kills at the net.

Frazier also got consistent performances all night from Mia West, Grace Polkabla and Jayanna Ciferno.

The home team capitalized on their momentum in the fourth set by ending the night with an 8-4 run.

“We knew they were coming in here to our home court with a lot to prove,” Gracen Hartman said. “Honestly, that just motivated us even more tonight. It was great to have that push and I really believe we are a stronger team now than the last time we played them. We wanted this game really bad.”

Frazier continues section play at Geibel Tuesday.

“Our mental toughness was commendable and it’s exactly what we needed to win,” Coach Hartman said. “This is an experienced group and these girls have played with each other for so long. I don’t know if I ever had a group like this that don’t get rattled on the court. Their composure is unmatched.”