The Rye volleyball team played exceptionally well in the Mamaroneck Tournament September 24, winning six of seven contests before falling to Mount Vernon in the playoff round.

 

By Melanie Cane

The Rye volleyball team played exceptionally well in the Mamaroneck Tournament September 24, winning six of seven contests before falling to Mount Vernon in the playoff round. The top-seeded Garnets were down one player – Heather Davey injured her ankle in practice two days earlier – yet managed to succeed with all six players competing in eight straight games minus a break. They defeated Briarcliff, Mamaroneck, Yonkers, Edgemont, Mount Vernon, and Brewster in round-robin action.

Two days after the tournament, Rye met undefeated Rye Neck at home. Going into the game, the girls were still on a bit of a high from Saturday’s success, but they could not overcome the intimidation factor. After losing the first game, 17-25, Rye battled back and came within three in game two, but could not complete the comeback. Rye continued to show grit in the third game, but the Panthers kicked it up a notch and sealed the deal with a 25-17 victory.

 

Head coach Andrea Reiff thinks a lack of confidence was a major issue for her players. “We were down on ourselves. I tried to get the girls motivated for the next game, Pleasantville, and to understand that it’s not okay to accept losing anymore.”

 

The pep talk must have worked, because the Garnets greeted Pleasantville at home with a lot of energy September 27, and it translated to a 3-0 (25-9, 25-18, 28-26) win. Rye simply outworked the Panthers, and benefitted from great play from Lauren Creadore, who had five kills, as well as libero Gianna Paganelli (11 digs), Marisa Curlen (18 assists), and Jessie Moore.

 

“We demanded more of ourselves and came out strong,” said Reiff. “We were the underdog, and our goal was to remain the loudest team at all times. We are more successful when we come out with energy and communication. I’m very proud of that win and hope to feed off that positive energy going forward.