Lynnfield volleyball looks to solve a Case in state semis

It’s an hourlong bus trip from Lynnfield to Medway, Mass., but Pioneer volleyball coach Michelle Perrone is looking forward to the ride south today.”We’ll have time to relax and start to focus on what our goals are,” Perrone said Monday night.The goals for Perrone and her team include dethroning defending state champion Case in the Division 3 state semifinal round, which begins at 7 p.m.”They have the experience of being in the playoffs,” Perrone said of the Pioneers’ opponent. “They know what it takes. We’re hoping we can derail them.”For Perrone and her team, today’s showdown is the latest step in an exciting ride for the program this season.Making net gainsThe third-year coach has high praise for the 2010 Pioneers.”I was very lucky to be able to coach a team like this year’s,” she said. “They meshed and clicked so well. They had a positive attitude all season.”Among the players she mentioned were senior co-captains Kelsey Mancini and Taylor Reska.”The two captains were truly dedicated,” she said. “Kelsey led by example. She had physical and mental toughness. Taylor couldn’t be more positive and motivated as far as her words and actions.”This year’s season had its tough moments. The team lost senior libero Victoria Costa, a Cape Ann League all-star, who was out almost four weeks due to mono (she has since returned). Junior Erika Burgess stepped in for her.”(Burgess) was a positive contributor who helped get our team to where we needed to be,” Perrone said.Playoff powerThe Pioneers’ goal was to win a Division 3 North championship, and they succeeded in reaching that round of the MIAA postseason as the second seed. Yet in last Saturday’s North final at Andover High, things did not begin promisingly. The Pioneers’ opponent, Austin Prep, took the first set, 25-23.”We knew we had to regroup and refocus,” Perrone said. “It came down to getting the job done.”That they did. Lynnfield took the second set, 25-8, en route to an eventual 3-1 win. Mancini finished with 17 kills, 21 digs and six aces.”She had a phenomenal, phenomenal match,” Perrone said.Reska had six aces and 15 digs, while junior Julia Goldstein had 10 kills, two aces and five digs. Junior Elizabeth Vo had six kills, and three blocks that her coach called “pivotal.” Junior Kelsey LeBlanc contributed seven service points, including one ace and match point.”We knew (the North title) was within reach,” Perrone said. “We were very focused to make sure we got the job done.”Long-term gainsPerrone forecasts continued growth in interest for volleyball in Lynnfield. The number of players in her program has increased in each of her three years as head coach. There are also middle school and high school camps, as well as programs through community schools.”It’s growing year after year,” she said. “Bob Cleary, my predecessor, started a fantastic program.”Close to 40 student-athletes tried out for the team this year; because there is no freshman team, Perrone had to make cuts, which she called “unfortunate.”The coach herself attended St. Clement in Somerville and began playing the sport as a sophomore.”I was a big softball player, and my softball coach was also the volleyball coach,” she said.Upon her coach’s recommendation, she decided to try volleyball.”I said, ‘OK, I’m going to go out,'” she said. “The first time I touched a volleyball, it was definitely the sport for me.”Today, it seems the sport continues to generate interest in Lynnfield – not only with players, but with fans.”We have a lot of home-crowd support,” Perrone said. “The parents and families have been fantastic, and the student body, staff and faculty have been great.”