Bourne Volleyball Posts Stunning Victory

By: Dan Crowley
Published: 10/29/10

The Lady Canalmen (13-5, 11-5 SCC) volleyball team finished off the regular season in grand fashion Wednesday night with what Bourne coach Tim Acton called, “The best volleyball I’ve ever seen Bourne play.”

Bourne defeated a powerful Division 1 team in Marshfield by a score of 3-1.

“They were the strongest team we’ve played this year,” Acton explained, “with the strongest hitters we’ve seen. They were attacking everything.”

The Lady Canalmen prevailed in the first two games, 25-13 and 25-12.

The Rams stayed with BHS until Tara Lyons stepped to the service line and picked up four points. Madi Durr came up with a big kill and Emily White blocked a shot to keep the service alive as Bourne pulled out to an 8-4 lead.

White put more distance between Bourne and the Rams with a five-point service run highlighted by a huge kill from Brenna Forsberg that stunned Marshfield and forced a timeout. The two traded points until White stepped back to the line and nailed it down with the final point coming on a kill from Sarah Hannon.

“It was a great team effort,” Coach Acton continued. “Everybody was getting it done.”

Alanah Durr opened the second game with a resounding kill. Forsberg ran off five points from the service line, highlighted by another Forsberg kill and two kills from Lyons.

Marshfield moved to within seven points, but a four-point run at the line by Hannon and kills by Alanah Durr and Lyons gave Bourne a 23-11 lead.

Alyssia Janak served the game winner and kept the volley alive with three huge digs off hard shots from Marshfield’s big front line. Lyons iced game two with a kill for the win.

The seniors stepped up on senior night and pounded the Rams in the first two games. Janak came up big in the back row, Hannon was everywhere, and White came up big at the net as did Forsberg. But Lyons was lights out.

“Tara took it to another level tonight,” Acton said of his junior captain. “"She played head and shoulders above everyone else.”

Marshfield claimed an early lead in game three until Lyons stepped to the line and ripped off three points to give Bourne the lead. The Lady Canalmen stayed a point on top with Forsberg and Lyons leading the way at the net. The Rams tied the game at 13-13 and then pulled ahead. Freshman Colleen Brady closed the gap at the service line with three points to tie the game at 21-21, but Bourne couldn’t hold on as Marshfield claimed the win in game three by a score of 25-21.

“We controlled those first two games,” the coach noted. “In that third game we got a little flat from the service line and let them in the game. But we didn’t fold. We went back out there and got it done.”

Bourne won the fourth game, 25-22.

Marshfield jumped out to a quick lead in the fourth game and held on until Lyons tied it from the line at 10-10. The battle went back and forth and remained tied at 21-21.

A kill by Forsberg gave Bourne an edge and another point from the line by White kept the Lady Canalmen on top. A beautifully placed shot by Hannon, off a volley kept alive by a block from Alanah Durr and a dig by Janak, put BHS within a point of winning.

The last thing Marshfield wanted to see was Hannon step to the service line, but that’s what they got. Steady, sure-handed and confident, Hannon fired the ball over the net. The Rams were unable to get a handle on the ball, eventually losing it out of bounds, giving Bourne the win.

“Colleen Brady played tough, Brenna Forsberg was great, and Tara (Lyons) played at another level,” the coach added. “Sarah (Hannon) was moving the ball, Alyssia Janak had some just unbelievable digs, and Meaghan Brady did a good job defending and at the service line.”

Lyons finished the night with 13 kills. Hannon had 23 assists, six aces, and four kills. Janak had 19 service receives and Forsberg recorded four kills. White finished with four aces, two kills, and two blocks and Madi Durr had four kills. Alanah Durr added three kills and Colleen Brady collected two aces in limited time at the service line.

After dropping their opener Monday night to Dighton-Rehoboth, 25-22, the Lady Canalmen rallied and won the next three games to send the Falcons home with a 3-1 loss.

Bourne was led by Tara Lyons who had a standout performance with eight kills and seven aces.

The Lady Canalmen came back with wins of 25-12, 25-21, and 25-10.

Sarah Hannon finished the night with 16 assists, four aces and added three kills. Madi Durr had three aces and three kills and Emily White ended the night with four kills, an ace, and a block.

Freshman Colleen Brady hit the varsity court big, serving seven aces for BHS and adding two kills.

Friday Bourne rolled over Seekonk with a 3-0 shutout.

Hannon got the ball rolling in the opening game, serving up 15 points from the line in a game win of 25-6. The Lady Canalmen went on to post victories of 25-17 and 25-22 in the second and third games.

A nice performance from Colleen Brady at the service line and by Meaghan Brady and Madi Durr in the backcourt with six digs apiece led the BHS attack.

The BHS volleyball team received the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team academic award for the fourth year in a row on Monday. As a team, the Lady Canalmen have maintained a GPA of 3.3 or above. They are the only team in New England to have won the award four times in a row.

The MIAA will announce the seedings and brackets for the state tournament in volleyball on Wednesday, November 3.

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