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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Benoit Calamunci

Marathon Session of Volleyball Ends in Split for the Blue Streaks

| By: Joe Ginley '16, SID
Calamunci connects with Head Coach Michele Benoit after another kill.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In a long evening of volleyball, the Blue Streaks split with two very good teams. 

John Carroll University Volleyball bested Bethany in the opening match, 3-2, and lost to Earlham, 3-1 at Day 1 of the 2021 Case Western Reserve University Tournament. 

"I'm frustrated that we lost the second match, but I think we played well and we've started out the season off strong," said Calamunci. "We have a lot to work on, but we have a lot of potential." 

Match 1

The Blue Streaks did it the hard way, but they eventually did it the right way.

John Carroll dug a 2-0 hole, but fought back from the brink to earn a fifth set, and then got the job done in the deciding set.

The Blue Streaks bested Bethany in the opening match of the evening: 24-26, 20-25, 25-22, 25-19, and 15-12.

The first set of the evening proved to be a portent of things to come. The Blue Streaks and Bison dueled in an intense opening set. The Blue Streaks started a bit slow before finding their footing and nearly won the opening set. But the Bison provided enough offense to snag the set, 26-24.

Errors hurt the Blue Streaks in the second set, as Bethany took advantage of mishits by John Carroll. The Bison played a strong set, unleashing their strong size at the front of the net. Bethany rolled to a 25-20 conquest, looking for the sweep in the third set.

That did not happen. The Blue Streaks battled from the brink in the third set, limiting mistakes and making large plays. Cassi Calamunci played strong at her right side spot, blasting thunderous kills at opportune times. John Carroll emerged with a 25-22 win in the second set.

John Carroll kept on the attack in the fourth set. The Blue Streaks exploited holes in Bethany's defenses, mixing in strong kills with sneaky plays to keep the Bisons off-kilter. JCU fired to a 25-19 win to force the deciding fifth set.

In the fifth, John Carroll continued to power through in the driver's seat. Ally Bartolone's wise play at setter anchored things, and a great rotation of players kept folks fresh up front. After Bethany thwarted off one match point, Kailee Herbst left no doubt with a kill to ensure the 15-12 conquest.

Looking at the stat sheet, Cassi Calamunci authored much of the offense with an impressive 28 kills. Jillian Kellick also impressed with 9 kills. Ally Bartolone kept things under control in the middle with a team-best 37 sets. Anna Coughlin contributed a team-best 35 digs, with Lexi MacDonald (14), Brooke Hjerpe (11), and Cassi Calamunci (10) all hitting double digits. 

"Ally has been my setter for a fourth season now, it's crazy," Calamunci said of her work with Bartolone. "The connection is definitely there." 

Match 2

After the 5-set marathon in the first match, the Blue Streaks experienced some difficulty at the start of the contest vs. Earlham. 

The Blue Streaks tried out some different rotations and looked to counter a strong start by the Quakers. But Earlham managed to upend John Carroll in the first set, 25-13. 

The second set turned out to be a fierce affair, with plenty of back-and-forth action. John Carroll made some adjustments and lined up some great plays. The Blue Streaks gained momentum, but Earlham wasn't quiet. Every point at the end of the set was a battle, and it went to the very end.

John Carroll's Jillian Kellick helped to finish off the Quakers late, along with nice play by Anna Coughlin in keeping points alive. The Blue Streaks tallied a dramatic 27-25 set win to even things up. 

Set three held the critical moment of the match. John Carroll enjoyed nice stretches and runs, targeting weaknesses in Earlham's defenses. Thanks to smart strategy, John Carroll placed itself in position to win the set, as back-to-back Calamunci kills took the Quakers to the brink at 24-22.

But then Earlham fought back to avoid the set loss, and found momentum. The Quakers won four straight points thanks in part to JCU errors, stealing a 26-24 set win. 

Another 5-setter seemed imminent, but the Blue Streaks could not battle back this time. Earlham slammed the door shut late in the fourth set, capturing a 25-22 conquest. 

Despite the defeat, JCU had many bright spots. Calamunci's 16 kills and .244 attack percentage stand out on the stat sheet, as does Brooke Hjerpe's 12 kills and Kellick's eight kills. Bartolone shined with 37 assists along with 11 digs. Coughlin topped the team with 23 digs, with Calamunci contributing 16. 

"We need to work more on our defense and our blocking and timing. We need to keep working on our serve-receive, that's a big thing," said Calamunci. "We'll get there. It's early, and we've had a strong season, definitely stronger than in my past years here." 

The Blue Streaks look to contribute the strong start with the finale of the CWRU Tournament vs. Albion at 10 am.
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