Ludlowe spikers knock on door

Written by Bill Bloxsom, Sports Editor
Wednesday, 28 October 2009 13:35

Fairfield Ludlowe looked to shake things up when coach Meghan Skelton’s Falcons played host to Darien High in an FCIAC girls volleyball match on Oct. 26.

Ludlowe had won 13 straight matches and brought a 15-1 record on to the floor.

Darien was 16-0 and coach Laurie LaRusso’s Blue Wave had not yet given up a game.

In fact, after having a 140-match win streak snapped by Greenwich in the second match of the 2008 season, Darien went on to win 16 in a row before capturing its eighth straight FCIAC crown and adding an eight straight state championship.

In all, LaRusso has led the Wave to 15 league titles in 16 seasons and 14 state championships over that same span.

“Ludlowe is a very good team and is well balanced,” LaRusso said after her spikers earned a 3-0 victory. “We knew they would come right at us. We had to cover all areas.”

To the betterment of the program, Skelton wasn’t satisfied with her team’s play.

“Darien is a great team, but giving that, we didn’t play as well as we are capable,” she said of the 25-15, 25-19, 25-18 defeat.

“It all starts with the pass, and tonight, while we had some stretches, we weren’t consistent.”

There was no silver lining to be found in the opening game, as Darien’s Corinne Sommi and Olivia Taylor had multiple-point runs in serve behind the middle hitting of Sarah Gorski and Colby Billhardt.

While Ludlowe setter Brandi Segala did her best to find her hitters, strong spikes by the Waves made a smooth offensive transition difficult.

Segala opened game two with a pair of service points, including an ace, but three straight service errors by the Falcons offset strong play at the net by Amy Bethge, Maddie McCaffrey and Heather Wamser.

Emma Getzsinger stepped to the stripe for Darien and ripped off a six-point run and so it goes...but this time Ludlowe countered.

Ali Krikau aggressively dug up the ball and volleys began to extend.

Ashley Curtis made a pair of sideline saves and Segala kept the point alive off the net.

But Darien isn’t only an above average team. Even with a lead, the Wave refused to concede a point.

For every Wamser dig, Segala set and Bethge spike, the visitors calmly reset the ball on their side and resumed their attack.

At 23-14 Darien, however, Ludlowe changed things up.

Curtis’ dizzying dig found Segala, who set McCafferey for a side out winner.

McAfferey notched a pair of net aces, one after the other catching enough cord to fall to the court.

LaRusso called for a timeout.

After a long rally, Marissa Mullen, who along with Bethge provide Ludlowe with strong play in the middle, blocked Gorski and it was 23-19.

The Falcons’ fifth service error of the game halted the momentum, and Taylor had a deep ace on game point to give Darien a 2-0 lead.

During every match comes a time when one team will get the other spinning out of control — but Darien is never too far off its axis.

The Wave went in front 8-2, with a 4-0 start by MacKenzie Begley to open game three.

Great net play by Mullen and McCafferey kept the Ludlowe student section — 18 members strong — involved.

Krikau’s save off a block led to a McCafferey spike for a side out and Mullen took serve and ran off four straight points.

After an ace, Bethge attacked a rare free ball for another point.

Bethge added another hit to the middle and McCafferey’s bump somehow crawled just over the net to make it 15-11 and force another Darien timeout.

The visitors responded when Sommi took serve after a short series of sideouts and tallied three hard-earned points.

Bethge had a block and McCaffrey ripped one through a double block to make it 22-15.

Krikau took a head-over-heels tumble to extend a point and Mullen hammered it home.

Krikau’s ace was followed by another spike by McCaffrey and it was 22-18.

Getzinger served out the match for Darien, despite a pair of digs from Krikau.

Ludlowe opens the FCIAC playoffs with a quarterfinal home match on Tuesday.