By Rob Potter
FALLSBURG — October 15, 2004 – The John S. Burke Catholic Lady Eagles soared past the host Fallsburg Lady Comets on Wednesday afternoon in a non-league volleyball match.
Burke recorded the victory in three straight games, 25-9, 25-9 and 25-14.
The Lady Eagles got off to a quick start in both the first and second games.
Paced by service aces by Lauren Bianchetti and Nicole Scanlon, Burke (14-1) raced out to a 12-3 lead in the opening game. After Fallsburg (0-15) closed the gap to 14-7, Michelle Bianchetti recorded two kills in the next few moments to extend the Lady Eagles’ lead to 19-9.
Early in the second game, a kill by Lady Comet Kelly Hobby knotted the score at 1-1.
But Burke responded by scoring seven consecutive points to take an 8-1 lead.
Moments later, Fallsburg’s Rachel Feller spiked the ball for a kill that made it an 8-3 game.
However, Lady Eagle Christi Walsh served a trio of aces as Burke outscored Fallsburg by a 17-6 margin the rest of the game.
In the third game, a kill by Hobby gave the Lady Comets a 4-2 lead. As the game progressed, Burke responded and took a 13-10 lead.
The Lady Eagles then extended their advantage to 18-10 as Walsh had three more kills and Michelle Nozkowski served two aces.
Walsh finished the match with 13 kills, eight points, five aces, five digs and a block. Nozkowski added 12 assists, nine points, two aces and two kills, while Michelle Bianchetti had 14 kills, seven points, three blocks and an ace.
“They played pretty well,” Burke Coach Kerry Baird said of her players.
With only five matches left in the regular season and her team headed for the Section IX Class B tournament, Baird decided to slightly alter her lineup.
“I had them in different positions in case of injuries or if something else happens,” she said of her starting players.
While obviously pleased with the way the Lady Eagles competed, Baird also praised the Lady Comets.
“I was very impressed with Fallsburg’s sportsmanship,” she commented. “They didn’t get down. They kept playing hard and didn’t get negative. That was really nice.”
The outcome of the match left Coach Chris Barnes and the Lady Comets still looking for their first win of the season.
Barnes noted that the team, which only has seven players on the roster, is relatively young. Feller and Hobby are the only two seniors on the squad.
“We’re still trying to work together and get our team dynamics down,” Barnes said. “They are improving and playing hard. They work hard and as a coach, that’s all you can ask of them.”