H.S. Roundup: Athol girls volleyball sweeps Mahar at Dig Pink Night

ORANGE — Giana Vaillancourt did a little bit of everything for the Athol girls volleyball team on Tuesday. Whether it was sacrificing her body for the defense or delivering thunderous serves, the senior was up to the task for the Bears in a 3-0 win over Mahar Regional at Grzesik-Bixby Gymnasium.

The versatility of Vaillancourt’s game helps on the court and with her teammates.

“I think it’s a staple for the team,” Vaillancourt said. “Someone who is able to do all that stuff. It’s what a captain should do. You need that. I love being a versatile player, if I see a teammate struggling with serving or something and it’s something I know I can help fix, I will absolutely give my two cents.”

Set scores were 25-8, 25-20 and 25-11 in the Western league contest. Athol (9-5, 7-4 Western) is in the midst of one of the better seasons in recent memory. The Bears rank 30th in the most recent MIAA power rankings for Division 4. They are in line for a state tournament appearance.

“I think they are all just clicking on a different level,” Athol coach Anna Duquette said. “It’s more so that they are playing together. It’s more of a family and team mentality. Which is something I’ve really tried to instill as a first-year coach.”

The team shed some personal goals in favor of team success.

“It’s more so about the game and how we treat each other,” Duquette said. “Versus collecting the most aces and having the most kills. It’s something that’s been a mindset for them, thinking I am my stats. Changing it now to the team that we all put together.”

Vaillancourt filled the stat sheet with seven kills, 17 aces, four digs and three assists. Vaillancourt’s serve gave Mahar problems from the very first set. A potential appearance in the state tournament would be the first since 2023.

“I am excited,” Vaillancourt said. “This is the first year we’ve been this competitive. This is the best we’ve looked in a long time. We’ve grown together. All these girls we’ve played middle school and J.V. together. I don’t know how long we are going to last, but we are going to have fun and fight.”

Maddie Desrosiers had a strong night at the net with five kills. Morgan Brailey added four more kills to help the offensive effort. Ella Reed led Athol with nine assists while Giana St. Andre added three more assists.

The match occurred on Mahar’s Dig Pink Night, where all proceeds from the game went to the Mahar Cancer Walk that distributes the funds to those in need. The event raised more than $600. On the court, the Senators (4-9, 3-8 Western) were without several key players.

“I have a very young starting lineup,” Mahar coach Maeve Powell said. “They are sophomores and freshmen.”

Kamryn Hart had two kills for the Senators. Annabelle Esparza had four digs with two aces. Mckenzie Scribner added two aces and three assists.

Franklin Tech 3, Greenfield 1 — The Eagles clinched the Western league championship with a win over the Green Wave in Turners Falls. Franklin Tech (11-2, 9-0 Western) got three aces, 10 kills, 14 digs and an assist from Sarah Beckwith. Laura Fuess added 10 kills to help the offensive attack. Madison Pettengill had five aces, 10 kills, 15 digs and an assist. Emma Petersen contributed four aces, four kills and six digs.

Turners Falls 3, Mohawk 2 — The Thunder survived a comeback attempt by the Warriors in their win in Buckland. Set scores were 27-25, 25-22, 20-25, 16-25 and 15-9. Jakhia Williams led the hitting effort with 10 kills. Maddie Haight had 14 assists, five aces and seven digs for the Thunder. Abby Moffatt led the defense with 24 digs. Emmalee Inman had nine kills and four blocks for the Warriors. Riley Dyer added six kills, with Zoey-Mae Shearer led the offense with five assists.

Golf

Pioneer 180, Mohawk 187 — The Panthers closed out their regular season with a win over the Warriors at Northfield Golf Course. Weston Jones had the low round for Pioneer, shooting a 43. Conner Bergeron had the low round for the match with a 42 for the Warriors. Chayton Massa carded a 45 for Mohawk. Noah Foote cracked the top four with a 44 for the Panthers (7-12).

Girls soccer

Athol 4, Holyoke 2 — Vera Cruz netted a hat trick for the Bears with a win over the Purple Knights at O’Brien Field. Maddisyn David added another goal for Athol. Hannah Cardosa had two assists while Ava Adams made 13 saves in net.

Girls cross country

Frontier 15, Southwick 47 — Farrah Lemay led the pack in Frontier’s win over the Rams in South Deerfield. Lemay finished first (19:02) overall. Louise Flagollet (19:05), Liv Christensen (19:07), Maia Christensen (19:53) and Phoebe Radner (20:27) all finished in the top five for the Redhawks.

Boys cross country

Frontier 18, Southwick 45 — The Redhawks outlasted the Rams in South Deerfield behind Evan Hedlund’s first place finish (14:54). Deegan Austin-Dietz placed second (15:19). Caleb Livvy (16:18) and Samuel Carter (17:19) were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Late Monday results

Frontier 1, Central 1 — The Redhawks (4-5-3) battled the Golden Eagles to a draw in South Deerfield in a Holley league contest. Henry Pleasant scored in the 79th minute to secure the tie for Frontier. Sebastian Migeon assisted on the tally. Mason Weis made five saves for Frontier.