Few things are as satisfying as dispatching your rivals via a sweep.
That's exactly what the Saint Ignatius varsity volleyball team accomplished on Monday in Lakewood.
The Volleyball Cats dominated the St. Edward Eagles on the road, cruising to a 3-0 win, just as the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled to a win over the Toronto Raptors at The Q. The Cats' victory advanced the squad to 15-4 on the year.
The Wildcats controlled the tempo from the get-go. Teddy Koncelik notched a kill to start the first set before Phil Catanzaro tallied back-to-back-to-back aces to open a 4-0 lead. Andrew Boeckman, Quinn Flanagan, and Alex Heath ran the advantage to 9-2 before the Eagles took a timeout to regroup.
The break helped the Eagles' offense, but the Cats did not stop, tearing off a 9-5 run. Kills by Boeckman and Catanzaro, along with several Eagle errors, finished off the set, 25-12 Cats. The visitors finished the first set with an impressive 12 kills and 4 aces.
The Wildcats' domination at the net continued into the second, as the men of Ohio City claimed 8 of the 10 kills in the next set. A pair of Koncelik points highlighted a 5-1 run to start things off. The Eagles battle hard to keep things interesting, but the Cats did not allow the lead to dwindle within six. Down the stretch, errors hurt the Eagles before Boeckman and Aidan McCaffrey combined for the final three points to complete a 25-12 win.
The net continued to be owned by the Wildcats in the third set. The men of Jacob Layden tallied 11 kills and 2 blocks to the Eagles' 4 kills and 0 blocks. St. Edward did battle in the first 12 points, as the Wildcats held a slim 7-5 lead. Kills by Castele and Koncelik, along with nice passing, gradually helped the Wildcats stretch the lead to 16-9. An Eric Larsen block and kill, a Matt Rogers ace, and a Castele kill (along with a few Eagles' errors) spelled doom in the end for St. Edward, 25-11.
Koncelik posted an MVP performance for the Wildcats throughout the set, converting on 10-of-11 kill attempts. McCaffrey led the way with 28 assists and Catanzaro topped the team with 5 digs to go along with 6 kills and 4 aces.
Following the large win over the Eagles, the Wildcats return to action on Wednesday. The team will celebrate Senior Night in Murphy Gym vs. Archbishop Hoban.
JV Update: The JV Cats also defeated the Eagles on Monday. The Cats won 17-25, 25-16, 24-14. The Wildcats return to action vs. the Knights on Wednesday.