Despite scoring first in all three games on Thursday, the No. 14 Dulaney Lions were unable to answer the relentless scoring runs of No. 4 Towson, leading to a Generals’ clean sweep of their foes, 25-15, 25-11 and 25-16.
“It was really important to keep the ball in play,” Towson junior Kelly Lacey said of the scoring runs. “Everyone was talking to me and subs were going into all different positions. I thought we just did really well.”
Lacey was an intricate part of the Generals’ scoring run in game three, serving nine-consecutive points after trailing the Lions 4-1 in game three, seeing big blocks from junior Hannah Wohltmann and crucial spikes from sophomore Hanna Glazer and senior Sarah Kennedy to take a 10-4 lead.
With the wind completely out of their sails, the Lions (11-2, 8-0) were able to trade points to trail 12-6, but the Generals (12-0, 7-0) continued to extend their lead to 18-10, 23-14 and close the game with a Wohltmann score for the match-ender.
“They played great,” Towson head coach Emily Berman said. “They played their hearts out, and I think we were aggressive in the places we needed to be, but smart. We knew we were playing a tough Dulaney team.”
That tough Dulaney team played a tight first game, jumping to a quick five-point lead and saw a number of ties in the game.
Falling to a 6-1 deficit in the first game, the Generals (11-0, 7-0) went on a six-point run with the help of junior Hannah Wohltmann’s spiking abilities, and began swapping leads with the Lions to a 10-10 tie before picking apart the Dulaney team two points at a time till the 25-15 final.
“We are undefeated in [our division] and they are undefeated in the county,” Dulaney head coach Cary Lyon said. “That’s why they are so excited. They made better shots than we did.
The largest win for the Generals came in game three, where the two teams battled to a close 8-6 Towson favor, but the serving of junior Laurn Bosse brought the Generals to a quick 15-6 lead en route to the 14-point win, 25-11.
“It is really exiting,” Boose described beating Dulaney. “We have all our fans to cheer us on and we are just playing as a team right now.”
Playing as a team is something Lyon isn’t so troubled with, but the Lions’ passing game is a cause for concern.
“We have to learn how to pass all over again,” Lyon explained. “In volleyball, you can have all the best hitters, the best servers, and all that other stuff in the world, but it always comes down to… everybody… passing.
It would take a natural disaster at this point for these teams not to meet each other in the Baltimore County Title Game next Wednesday, and both coaches are anxiously awaiting the match-up.
“Coming in I said I don’t mind losing this game, because we are going to end up playing them for the county championship,” Lyons admitted. “It is fun playing Towson, but we shouldn’t be playing before counties.
“I think it will be an advantage to us that they didn’t see much here tonight. We saw everything they have. But I hate to lose, and they have to get out there and step up and play for pride. I’ll be surprised if we don’t play them tougher next time.”
Berman, when asked what the team is most looking forward to, briefly said, “Playing them again. Beating them again.”
Towson 3, Dulaney 0
T 25 25 25
D 15 11 16
