SALEM — The Swampscott volleyball team started off slow, but finished strong Thursday night in a 3-0 win over the Salem Witches.
Big Blue head coach Ryan Celli was pleased with the way his squad performed against the Witches.
“We just played good disciplined volleyball and we took advantage of our opportunities,” he said.
The difference maker in the match for Celli was senior captain Sophia Mento, who provided quality service with three aces; the head coach said that she was able to bring Swampscott back into the game.
Izzy Potts was also a key player for Swampscott as she tallied seven kills and four digs. Salem head coach Craig Massey praised Potts after the match.
“(She) played a really strong match,” he said. “She got in a rhythm and she became harder to stop.”
The beginning of the first set was a close affair with both sides trading points to tie the score up at 4-4. Salem went on to take an 8-5 lead, but it wouldn’t last long. Swampscott tied the score up at nine and went on to extend the lead to 12-9, which prompted Salem to take a timeout.
From there, it was all Swampscott in the set; the Big Blue extended its lead by 10 points (20-10) before ultimately winning the first set at 24-14.
The Witches got off to a good start in the second set, speeding out of the gate and racking up a 7-1 lead, which resulted in a Big Blue timeout. Swampscott responded well, climbing back into the set at 12-9; but Salem fought back and extended its lead to 15-11.
Things got tight at the end of the set with both sides exchanging blows to tie the score up at 21-21; but eventually, the Big Blue pulled ahead to take the second set at 25-22.
It was the same pattern in the third set, with Salem once again jumping out to a 7-1 lead to force a timeout. However, the Big Blue again clawed back into the match. Salem regained the lead to force a timeout up 17-15, but Swampscott traded points with the Witches and ended up taking the third set at 25-19.
For Celli, the Big Blue’s resilience is something he said he is especially proud of.
“I think that we have been a slow-starting team all year and that’s kind of shown if you look at our past matches,” he said. “We are a team that likes to come back late; we like to go on some runs and we did that today and it was enough for us to get the 3-0 win.”
Swampscott is now 3-3 on the season and faces Austin Prep on Friday while Salem fell to 4-5 and has a matchup against St. Mary’s on Friday as well.
