GA netters top Springside

By TOM UTESCHER

Neither visiting Springside nor Germantown Academy had suffered a loss when the two volleyball squads met last Friday, and the host Patriots were the team which remained undefeated as they turned back the Lions, 3-0.

A veteran squad composed entirely of seniors save for sophomore Rachel Kloss, GA had opened its season by beating Academy of the New Church. Springside came in at 2-0, with wins over George School and Community Academy of Philadelphia. The Lions mostly play juniors and seniors, although talented eighth grader Devin McInerny has earned a place in the regular rotation.

A GA serve out over the baseline gave Springside the first point of the match, but the Patriots had soon stepped out to a 10-2 lead in the opening game. Julie Miller would score on a hit, a tip, and a block, and outside hitter Becca Fitch laid down two kills and a service ace for Germantown.

Later in the game Lucy Sorenson recorded a kill and McInerny aimed an ace for the Lions. The visitors got most of their points from simply keeping the ball in play and benefiting from GA mistakes; seven bad serves and six other errors. The Lions made a number of missteps of their own, however, and the Pats wrapped up the game at 25-15.

The hosts earned a 7-3 edge in the second round, then they captured a side-out on a flawed Springside serve and ran off five more points (including an ace) with Jaryn Fields presiding at the service line. The Lions picked up a point on a double hit by GA, and the Patriots got the ball back on a hit out over the sideline. Kloss then served for six straight points, pretty much putting the game out of reach at 20-4. Germantown won it, 25-8, as outside hitter Emily Goodwin came on for six kills and Fitch added three. For Springside, McInernry scored on a push and Karyn Kesselring got a point on a pass to open space.

Whatever hopes Springside might have had of extending the match faded as GA broke out to a 16-2 lead in the third game. The backbreaker was an eight-point run behind the serving of Lee Graf, a stretch that incorporated three of Fitch's five kills in the game. Springside also helped the Patriots along by coughing up a total of 18 points on errors of various kinds. Fitch's final scoring hit of the day was a crosscourt bullet for game (and match) point at 25-10.