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Onto the Postseason: Volleyball Cats Wrap Up Regular Season with a W

By Joe Ginley, 05/18/18, 5:15PM EDT

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Quinn Flanagan enjoyed a banner day on the road.

The regular season is complete. Now the attention turns to the postseason.

The Wildcats placed a large exclamation point on a phenomenal regular season with a 3-0 sweep of Massillon Jackson on Thursday. The Volleyball Cats finish at 18-4 entering the Ohio High School Boys Volleyball Association (OHSBVA) Tournament. 

As has been the case for much of the season, the Volleyball Cats dominated at the net. The visitors recorded 35 kills and 7 blocks against Jackson's 21 kills and 1 block.

The contest began on an even keel, as the teams evenly divided the first 14 points. Errors by the Polar Bears allowed the Cats to slowly build a lead. With Matthew Rogers at the service line, the Wildcats notched four points in a row, leading to a 13-8 lead and a Jackson timeout. Spikes by Teddy Koncelik and Quinn Flanagan kept the multiple-point lead, though errors kept the lead to 3 at 18-15.

The Wildcats sealed the deal down the stretch with kills by Phil Catanzaro, Flanagan, and Koncelik. A pair of Flanagan aces also helped, setting the set #1 score at 25-18.  

In set #2, the Volleyball Cats enjoyed a much better start. The warriors of Ohio City stormed to a 9-2 lead. Savvy front line play helped the Cats, as did five straight nice serves by Aidan McCaffrey, including a couple of aces. Following a Jackson timeout, the hosts tore off a 6-2 run to narrow the deficit to 11-8. That run motivated the Cats to respond with a 5-0 run. Points by Koncelik and Flanagan, along with Rogers' wonderful services, deflated the Polar Bears. 

Following another Cats' onslaught, Jackson burned a timeout, trailing 19-11. A short break did not stop the Wildcats' momentum. A pair of David Castele kills provided the catalyst for finishing off the Polar Bears, 25-13, and open up a 2-0 series lead. 

Jackson did not surrender in the third set. The Polar Bears won five of the first six points to build some confidence. The Wildcats chipped away to tie the contest at 7. Jackson won a very long volley to take an 8-7 lead, but then the Cats tore off a 5-0 run thanks to a clutch dig and impressive serving by Castele. Down 12-8, Jackson utilized a timeout.

The Cats kept steamrolling along after the break. Castele recorded two more aces and Koncelik recorded a kill to increase the Wildcats' run to 9 straight points and the difference to 16-8. Jackson fought to narrow the gap, but two Wildcat blocks and two Flanagan kills led a frustrated Jackson squad to take another timeout at 20-11. Give credit to the Polar Bears – they did not give up the ship. But a Catanzaro kill ended any chance of a Jackson rally, ending the contest at 25-17. 

Flanagan enjoyed a marvelous day on the front lines, tallying a team-best 13 kills and 8 digs by day's end. Catanzaro added 10 kills and 5 digs in yet another great day for the junior. Aidan McCaffrey guided the way with 32 assists. 

Following the large win over Jackson, the Wildcats will begin the postseason journey next Thursday. The Cats will face Medina at Walsh Jesuit High School at 6:30 pm in the Regional Semifinals.