Pioneer volleyball rolls on to state semifinals

THE PIONEERS celebrate their state quarterfinal win over Nantucket Thursday. Lynnfield traveled to Canton High on Tuesday after press time to meet Joseph Case in the state semifinals. The winner will play the winner of Ipswich vs. Weston in the state finals, date and time to be announced. (LHS Athletics Photo)

Met Joseph Case on Tuesday after press time

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

LYNNFIELD — It was a long trip north for the Nantucket High volleyball team as they came to Lynnfield for their MIAA Division 4 quarterfinal match on Thursday for an afternoon tilt. The Pioneers made it an even longer trip back home as they beat the Whalers 3-0.

Lynnfield won the three sets, 25-14, 25-20 and 25-11.

With that victory, the 2nd-seeded Pioneers improved to 20-3 while the 7th-seeded Whalers ended the year at 18-2.

“You could tell that their kids were tired from the three hour trip with the ferry ride and bus,” said Lynnfield head coach Brent Ashley. “We definitely had a home-court advantage, although their fan bus brought around 80 fans.”

In set one, the score was knotted at seven when the Pioneers took command outscoring the Whalers, 18-7, to close out the set.

Set two was tight for a while as Lynnfield only led, 15-14. However, the locals took command the rest of the way outscoring the Whalers, 10-6, to go up 2-0.

The momentum continued into the final set as they raced out to a 7-1 advantage causing a Whaler time out. They continued to expand that lead and easily won by 14.

Ella Gizmunt led the Pioneers as the senior captain had 17 kills, 12 digs and six service aces. Fellow senior, Celia Carbone, had 26 assists to break the 1,000 assist barrier for her career as she recorded that milestone in the third set. She is only the 2^nd LHS volleyball player to reach that milestone. Carbone also had 10 digs and three service aces.

ELLA GIZMUNT had 17 kills, 12 digs and 8 service aces in Lynnfield’s 3-0 win over Nantucket in the state quarterfinals on Thursday at LHS. (File Photo)

The Pioneers took on third-seeded Joseph Case in the state semi-finals on Nov. 15 at Canton High (results not available at press time).

If Lynnfield won that match, they face the winner of the Ipswich-Weston match for the Div. 4 state title (date, location and time unknown as of press time).

Ipswich, the defending Div. 4 state champs, handed the Pioneers two of their three losses this year.