H.S. Roundup: Pioneer girls volleyball moves past Ware in Class D

NORTHFIELD — With the outcome of the match teetering on the brink of a win or a loss, the Pioneer Valley Regional girls volleyball team needed playmakers on Monday night.

The Panthers got clutch plays from Corrie Glenn and Ryleigh Goodwin in the fourth set against Ware, leading to a 3-1 win over the Indians in the Western Mass. Class D quarterfinals at Messer Gymnasium.

The third-seeded Panthers cruised in the first two sets before dropping the third. In the fourth set, the two teams found themselves at 15-15. That’s when Glenn went to the service with Goodwin standing at the net for the Panthers. After three kills from Goodwin and two aces from Glenn, the Panthers had a 20-15 lead in the decisive set.

Goodwin led the offense with nine kills.

“I think of the positive,” Goodwin said. “I think of the positive all the time. I know that we can make a comeback no matter how far down we are.”

Final set scores were 25-18, 25-14, 24-26 and 25-19. The Panthers advance to play the winner of No. 7 Veritas Prep or No. 2 Lee High School.

“We need to improve communication and moving our feet,” Pioneer coach Shannon Connolly said. “It’s the story of our season. I never tell them what they did wrong. I always ask what we need to work on during timeouts…if they tell you what they need to work on that’s what they remember and they go out and they fix it.”

After a kill by Goodwin, Glenn delivered an ace for the Panthers. The process repeated itself before yet another kill by Goodwin.

“I wasn’t really looking at the score,” Glenn said. “I try not to put the pressure on myself to give us the lead. I was thinking about getting be all over. Then the next one and the next one over. I was hoping our team would get more energy and believe in ourselves.

Sophia Wood had an excellent all-around match for the Panthers with five kills, three digs and 16 assists. Evangeline Lewis added five aces and six digs. Serenity Brown helped the defense with five digs. Lana Gagnon rounded out a balanced attack by the Panthers with five kills and five digs.

“We all kind of find that determination together,” Wood said. “If we get that one good play we have that urge to keep it going and keep repeating that process.”

Kiara Gruszkowski chipped in with three digs for the Panthers.

Franklin Tech 3, SICS 2 — The Eagles got past the Bulldogs in a five-setter in the Western Mass. Class C quarterfinals in Montague. Fourth-seeded Franklin Tech advances to play top-seeded PVCA with a time and date yet to be determined. Set scores were 19-25, 25-18, 25-21, 23-25 and 15-13. Janiylah Wan had 11 aces and 14 digs while Laura Fuess led the hitting effort with 14 kills. Emma Petersen added five kills, nine digs and three blocks.

Mount Greylock 3, Athol 0 — The Bears did not survive their trip to the Berkshires in the Class C quarterfinals against the Mounties. Set scores were 25-7, 25-13 and 25-8. Giana Vaillancourt had four kills, two assists and three digs for Athol. Bella Barton and Giana St. Andre both had four digs. Maddie Desrosiers chipped in with three kills.

Boys soccer

Gateway 3, Pioneer 1 — The eighth-seeded Panthers had a first half lead against the No. 1 Gators, but it slipped away in Huntington in the Western Mass. Class D quarterfinals. Tad Loud had a goal on a penalty kick for Pioneer. Aaron Meuse made nine saves in net.

Chicopee 5, Frontier 3 — Henry Pleasant, Sebastien Migeon and Grant Biancamano had goals, but the Redhawks fell on the road to the Pacers in the Western Mass Class B quarterfinals. Mason Weis made seven saves, with Jack Keyes adding an assist.

MVADA soccer tournmanent

Westfield Tech 2, Franklin Tech 0 — The Eagles lost to the Tigers in Turners Falls in the first round of the state vocational tournament.

Girls soccer

Western Mass. playoffs

Monson 4, Athol 0 — The top-seeded Mustangs were too much for the eighth-seeded Bears in the Western Mass. Class C quarterfinals in Monson. Ava Adams made 23 saves for the Bears. Athol trailed 1-0 at halftime before three goals in the second half put things away for the Mustangs.

Ware 2, Pioneer 0 — The fifth-seeded Indians pulled off the upset over the fourth-seeded Panthers in the Western Mass. Class D quarterfinals in Northfield. Maggie Tsipenyuk made five saves for the Panthers.

Easthampton 5, Mahar 0 — The seventh-seeded Senators lost to the second-seeded Eagles in the Western Mass. Class C quarterfinals at Nonotuck Park in Easthampton. Mackenzie Matthews and Jaya McBroom combined for 11 saves for the Senators.

Golf

Franklin Tech finished ninth at the MIAA Division 3 state championship at Stockbridge Golf Club in Stockbridge. Jack Day finished tied for 21st with an 81 for the Eagles. Braeden Talbot placed tied for 30th with an 82. Brady Wood was the next player from Franklin Tech on the leaderboard, tying for 51st with an 87. Franklin Tech finished with a combined 346. Old Rochester won the event with a 315.

Regular season

Field hockey

Franklin Tech 4, Mahar 1 — With a win over the Senators at the Woodward Complex, the Eagles claimed the outright County league championship for the first time since 2021. Leah Meattey, Amelia Rider and Abigail Dobias scored for the Eagles. Ava Worden, Nora Cutting and Emmy Godfrey had assists, with Redyn Gutierrez making two saves in net. Ella Smith scored for the Senators on an assist from Adeena Maselli in the first quarter. Bella Burnett made 11 saves for Mahar.

Mohawk 1, Hampshire 0 — A goal by Molly Ross was the difference for the Warriors in the win over the Raiders in Westhampton. Hailey Martin assisted on the play. Brynlee Purington made two big saves in net to secure the victory.