Set 1: The first set started out well for the Dons when at 2-0 (Dons’ score listed first) Jojo Harnish put up a very nice middle set that was hammered down by Kendall Baker. Tyanna Roy followed up the next point with an ace on her serve. But then the Minutemen made a comeback and with the score 6-8 Brooke Aiello put down a hard kill from the outside post. At 7-9 Lila Schoenfield got into the action with a convincing middle kill. Amanda Jarquin began what was to be a big night from the backrow with a backrow spike that landed untouched on the Minutemen floor. Harnish (who had an incredible night of serving) started off a 5-point service run with a short-serve ace. The score stood at 15-10 when she finally served into the net. Her serves were on, and between hard floaters and soft droppers, she kept the Minutemen receivers completely off-balance. But once again, Concord roared back with several unanswered points and it was not until 19-23 that Jarquin had yet another backrow kill. Points were traded and then at 21-23 Roy smacked a kill from the outside. At 23-24 Baker went up against a tight Concord blocking duo, and wisely chose to push a power-dink to the side of their floor. The game was tightly scored at 24-24 but the Minutemen got the final two points to end the first set.
Final Score Set 1: 24-26 Minutemen.

Set 2: Whatever words coach Steve Siegmann had for the girls at the end of the first set really had an effect. The Dons came out with Jojo Harnish again showing huge serving skills as she opened up with two aces. The Dons just looked different – more hustle, and more urgency – and it was plainly evident they were fired up. Excellent overall play brought the score to 5-2 and Kendall Baker once again relied on the power dink to deftly place the ball in no-man’s land. This was followed up by Lila Schoenfield’s power-dink to the same spot at 7-5. On the next point, Brooke Aiello took a Harnish set straight to the Concord floor to make it 8-5. Then again on the next point, Amanda Jarquin once again brought the big swing from the backrow to make it 9-5. The Dons really were on a roll and they looked very tough to beat. At 12-7 it was Aiello again, this time from the backrow to deliver a kill. At 15-8 a controversial play happened when Baker went up on a block and got a partial touch on the ball. She came back down a little awkwardly, going to a knee, and the ball followed her and bounced up off of her head. Seeing the ball still in the air Megan Dalziel showed big time hustle, got to it and popped it up. Aiello then got to it and sent it over the net. The play was whistled dead on the grounds of four hits by the Dons. The argument came from the Dons that the first touch off the block by Baker should not have counted, therefore the first hit was the head-bounce. Second hit was Dalziel, and Aiello sent it over on the third hit. The time taken for this argument to settle (which was settled by a re-play of the point) was at least four minutes. Finally, the Dons got the ball to re-serve the point, and the ball was promptly served into the net. The volleyball gods were looking friendly upon the Minutement on that one. Nevertheless, the Dons continued to dominate this set until at 24-12 Jarquin sent over a rocket of a serve that could not be handled by Concord.
Final Score Set 2: 25-12 Dons.

Set 3: The Dons remained on a roll here in set three, with overall good volleyball fundamentals. The first big play came when Lila Schoenfield when up high on a solo middle block and completely stuffed the middle kill attempt from Concord. Amanda Jarquin began a 6-point service run that included a booming outside kill from Brooke Aiello at 12-4, a beautiful cross-court set from Jojo Harnish that Tyanna Roy punished to make the score 14-4 and Schoenfield delivering a big middle kill at 15-5. Harnish served out the final eight straight points with serves that had the Minutemen completely off-balance.
Final Score Set 3: 25-7

Set 4: The Dons were definitely rolling, but the Minutemen were definitely not rolling over. Rachel Cox caught everyone’s attention by calling for the set and Julia Amaral delivered a beauty. Cox put it down quickly to make the score 2-1. At 4-2 Marie Teichman hit a great cut-shot that found open space on the Concord side. Brooke Aiello began her own service run as she served six straight that included two aces. At 15-8, it was Harnish again with the serving prowess as she dropped a floater barely over the net and untouched to the floor. At 17-13 it was Amaral and Cox again teaming up in the middle of the court as Cox brought the pain with a hammering blow to a low middle set from Amaral. At 21-17 Amaral showed some court awareness as she deftly dumped a pass to the Minutemen floor. On the final point of the match, it was Megan Dalziel again showing super hustle diving to make a great dig on a Concord kill attempt, extending the rally, and the Dons ultimately winning the point.
Final Score Set 4: 25-18
Match to the Dons, 3-1

Various Stats:
Jojo Harnish: 14 Aces; 23 Assists
Tyanna Roy: 11 Kills; 12 Digs
Amanda Jarquin: 5 Kills
Lila Schoenfield: 5 Kills
Brooke Aiello: 5 Kills

Submitted by Brian Aiello