Rye volleyball swept a second-straight postseason opponent, defeating No. 7 Panas on Saturday to remain unbeaten at home and advance to the section semifinals.
Although No. 2 Rye won in straight sets, 25-17, 26-24, 28-26, the Panthers put up a good fight, pushing the second and third sets into extra points.
Junior setter Amelie Modesto had a whopping 31 assists, with eight digs and two kills. Senior outside hitter Valeria Medina led the team with 13 digs, and senior Phoebe Greto and freshman Audre Campbell each had a team-best 13 kills.
“Once again, the depth of our roster was able to move us through the game,” said Rye coach Geri Jones, “with the added hitting power of Audre and the defense and serving of Elena Lin just doing a fantastic job.”
After playing their first seven matches this season on the road, the Garnets have been dominant in the Rye High School gym. Not only have they gone 8-0 at home, they’ve won 24 of 25 sets, including two postseason sweeps.
“As everyone says, defense wins championships,” Jones said. “So between Emma Lunstead, Margo Ehrenberg, Valeria, and Elena, our defense was absolutely outstanding, and I believe what will get us far.”
Home or away, Rye (16-4) has won six of its past seven matches. The only loss was to the third-seeded Ardsley team (16-3) the Garnets now face in the semifinals.
After sweeping the Panthers at home on Sept. 30, Ardsley returned the favor with a sweep on Oct. 23. The winner of Wednesday’s rubber match at Rye will play in the section championship Saturday at Westchester County Center.
