Lynnfield volleyball advances

The Lynnfield High volleyball team defeated Pope John, 3-0, in Division 3 North semifinal play at Lynnfield on Thursday.”We outpowered them,” Lynnfield coach Michelle Perrone said. “Our serving and hitting put us above (them).”Next up for the second-seeded Pioneers (18-4) is Austin Prep. The North final will take place Saturday at Andover High School (12).On Thursday, Lynnfield took the first set 25-13; the second set 25-16; and the third set 25-18.Senior captain Kelsey Mancini had 13 aces with eight kills. Junior Julia Goldstein finished with nine kills and sophomore Abby Norwood had 22 assists.”We were playing very well,” Perrone said. “Our serving and hitting were on.”The coach said that the teams were more or less even in terms of size and speed.”One team was not taller than another,” she said. “It made for a pretty good match.”And while she said that “I think we were moving our feet a little speedier than Pope John,” she added that the teams were evenly matched in that category, too.