Five-set thriller over North Andover highlights four-win week for Lynnfield

Published in the October 17, 2018 edition

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

LYNNFIELD — The bigger story is a seven-game win streak after yet another win in straight sets against Triton on Monday. 

But Lynnfield’s 3-2 win over North Andover may have been the game of the year.

The Scarlet Knights took an ultra-competitive first set by a close 26-24 score. Lynnfield fought back and won both the second and third sets by a score of 25-23. North Andover forced a fifth set with a 25-18 victory in set four. The Pioneers settled it with another razor-thin 15-13 win in set five to pick up a massive road win. 

Junior captain Melissa Morelli put the Pioneers on her back for much of the contest, collecting a stellar stat line of 18 kills, two aces, two blocks, 14 digs and 23 assists. 

THE PIONEER CAPTAINS were strong at the net during their big win over North Andover. Melissa Morelli (13) had two solo blocks and five assisted blocks while Samantha DeGeorge had six solo blocks and five assisted blocks. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

Lynnfield’s senior captain was a force as well. Samantha DeGeorge had an astounding six solo blocks and five assisted blocks as she dominated the middle of the net. Nobody on North Andover had more than one block. 

The Pioneers got another solid attacking game from junior Samantha Lebruska who collected eight kills, two aces and 11 digs. 

Lynnfield was stout defensively for most of the game, getting 77 total digs, led by 19 from junior libero Sofia Ciriello, 18 from junior Sophia Wilkinson and 10 from junior Ashley Pagliuca. Wilkinson also chipped in with 17 assists for Lynnfield. 

It was a massive, momentum-building win against a terrific 8-4 Div. 1 program.

As if the Pioneers needed a confidence boost. 

The N.A. win was the 4th in a row for Lynnfield who built on that with more familiar straight-set victories against Newburyport on Oct. 10, Georgetown on Oct. 12 and Triton on Oct. 15. 

Lynnfield cruised past the Clippers on the road behind 12 kills from Morelli, four blocks from DeGeorge and 17 assists from Wilkinson. 

The home game against the Royals included set wins of 25-9, 25-11 and 15-17. Lynnfield beat the Vikings in Byfield, 25-13, 15-7 and 15-13. 

All of those amount to a seven-game win streak and a 14-1 overall record. Lynnfield’s only loss came against CAL rival Masco, who they will rematch at LHS on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The game will not only have Cape Ann League ramifications but a win for Lynnfield against yet another D1 squad will be proof that they can beat anybody come playoff time.