Girls volleyball: Rosary overcomes Sandwich for 3A regional title

Annaleah Esp, Annika Pickard and their Rosary volleyball teammates confronted a major obstacle in Sandwich Thursday night.

"I have seen her in club," Pickard said of Sandwich senior Sammi LaBolle. "She is amazing."

"I was very proud of our team for not getting discouraged when (LaBolle) started hitting," Esp said. "She can pound the ball from any angle on the floor."

LaBolle was brilliant for the Indians in the championship match of the Class 3A Sandwich regional girls volleyball championship, but Rosary certainly proved the potential for records being deceptive.

The Royals rarely trailed - not even tied in the first game - in a 25-21 and 25-22 straight-sets victory.

Rosary, the fifth seed of the Burlington Central subsectional, will advance to meet No. 1 Antioch Monday.

The Royals improved to 14-23 while ending the second-seeded Indians' campaign at 22-9.

"We have been playing bigger schools than us," Esp said of the Royals' record. "We came in just knowing we were the better team."

Paige Gardella had an ace as part of a 6-point service to run to open the match.

Sandwich never truly recovered as Picard had winners on back-to-back possessions to give Rosary its largest lead of either set at 15-6.

"We were nervous," Sandwich coach Selynda Kern said. "We have a tendency to come out that way."

Kern was a member of the last Sandwich regional-championship team exactly 20 years ago.

But, instead, it was Rosary that advanced to Burlington Central in claiming its fourth straight first state preliminary title.

"We had a goal - and that was to continue to win in the postseason," said Pickard, who finished with a team-high 7 kills.

Maya Sullivan closed out the Indians in the first set with a kill.

Rosary faced its only deficits of the night early in the second game as the game seesawed over the first 22 points.

But Sandwich never led again after Sullivan had another kill to give Rosary a 12-11 advantage.

Rosary would build its lead thereafter in piecemeal fashion as LaBolle and her equally dangerous senior teammate Sydney Coselman - also uncommitted - were an indomitable force for the Indians.

Spearheading the Indians' offensive statistics, LaBolle and Coselman combined for 15 kills, with the former leading all players with 9.

But Rosary had more balance as Sullivan and Brummel augmented Pickard with 5 kills each.

The latest of the storied Konovodoff siblings - sophomore libero Sarah - had a match-high 8 digs while coordinating the setting of sisters Paige and Jessica Gardella, who combined for 17 assists.

Rosary eventually prevailed on a Brummel kill, but not before JV call-up Alyssa Nesterowicz provided match point with a block.

"I just sort of jumped up," Nesterowicz said. "(The ball) just sort of hit my hands."