A week didn’t make a difference for Towson High volleyball team. The No. 4 Generals swept 15th-ranked Dulaney Wednesday evening, 25-16, 25-13 and 25-16, to claim the Baltimore County championship.
Junior outside hitter Kelly Lacy had 11 kills and five aces for Towson (15-1 overall), and Emily Lansginer added seven kills. Jessica Starr had 10 kills and two aces for Dulaney (13-3).
In winning their third consecutive county crown, the Generals defeated longtime rivals for the second time in less than a week. Last Thursday, Towson swept the Lions on its home court before a packed audience.
The Generals didn’t let complacency stand in the way of a three-peat.
“Playing last week was to their advantage because we played very well,” said Towson coach Emily Berman. “We didn’t get to see much from them; they made a ton of errors and didn’t pass well. I was little nervous because I knew they were going to improve. They definitely improved, but we improved even more.”
“We had a few moments where we didn’t play so hot, but we were able to pull it back together,” said Generals junior hitter Lauren Bosse, who had five kills and two blocks. “I think we really played well as a team.”
A serve by Audrey Andrews that glance off the net and landed for an ace, sparked an 8-1 run, giving Towson command of the opening game. A kill by Lacy had the Generals out to a 7-0 advantage in the second game.
It was 14-3 after Ally Teuten and Lauren Bosse combined for a kill block. The Lions got no closer than 10 points.
Dulaney pushed the Generals in game three, but the Lions couldn’t overcome their unforced errors and Towson’s defense to extend the match. Dulaney coach Cary Lyon said he went back to basics with his team after Thursday’s loss.
“It was frustrating because some of my girls didn’t react,” said Lyon, who moved Stacey Donadio from libero to outside hitter and Elsa Manning from hitter to libero.
“They’ve [Towson] been playing club since they were in middle school. They just read the court well,” added Lyon. “A lot of my hitters can usually get a tip for a point, couldn’t do it again Towson.”
Despite the loss, Dulaney should be the No. 1 seed for the Class 4A North Region playoffs. The brackets will be announced Monday afternoon.
Towson is likely the top seed in the 2A North Region as it attempts to capture the state crown after near misses the last couple of seasons. Last season, Towson lost in five sets to River Hill in the 3A semifinals.
A reminder can be found on the wall in Towson’s gymnasium in a painted sign saying “Picture on the Wall.” It refers to a picture of the 2001 state title team (which featured Berman) that hangs in the hallway outside the school’s gymnasium.
“Coach [Berman] has that picture,” said Bosse, “now we want it.”
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