Lynnfield volleyball gets ready for Fairhaven in D3 semifinal tilt

When the Lynnfield High volleyball team takes the court tonight against Fairhaven High in the Division 3 state semifinals (at Taunton High, 7), it will be facing a team with an impressive post-season history.Fairhaven, under coach Karen Arsenault, won the Division 2 South sectionals the last three years and this year, did the same in Division 3. The Blue Devils lost to Longmeadow in the state semfinals last year and to Marlboro in the state semifinals the year before. In 2010, Fairhaven reached the state final before losing to Medfield.Arsenault has coached the Blue Devils for 13 years and the team has made it to the post-season every year. Her team will bring a 21-3 record to the matchup. Two of those losses were against New Bedford, a Division 1 team, and one was to Bourne. Fairhaven and Bourne finished tied for the South Coast Conference title.Arsenault said she has nine juniors and a senior contingent of seven, which is considerably larger than most years.Arsenault said she has more depth than she has in the past. Among the players she?ll be counting on will be junior outside hitter Katie Liedhold.?She?s a very good all-around player,” Arsenault said. “She started varsity since she was a freshman. She?s been to two South semifinals and she?s won two South semifinals.”In the South Sectional final against Case, Liedhold had 17 kills, 16 digs and seven aces. Senior libero Courtney Tavares, with her excellent passing and digging, could also challenge the Pioneers. She had 16 digs in the South Sectional final.Arsenault said she hasn?t seen Lynnfield, but she?s expecting a good matchup.?I think it?s going to be an even matchup,” she said. “They seem very similar to us.”The Pioneers (19-4) reached the state semifinal with a 3-0 win over Notre Dame of Tyngsborough in the Division 3 North final. Kelly Corcoran, who has been a force all season, had six digs, 11 kills and five aces. Emily Mancini had 13 kills, six digs and three blocks and Ashley McRae had 18 digs and a pair of aces. Lynnfield was the No. 3 seed in Division 3 North. The Pioneers? path to the state semifinal included wins over Shawsheen Tech, Mystic Valley and Notre Dame of Tyngsborough.