Mount Greylock Gets Back in Win Column Against Wahconah

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Mount Greylock volleyball team put its first loss of the season in the rear view mirror in impressive fashion on Monday, sweeping county and Western Division rival Wahconah.

 

Kylie Sweren and Olivia Perez each delivered six kills for the Mounties in a 25-18, 25-12, 25-14 win.

 

“I think it was good to start our winning streak again,” Mounties senior libero Emily Alvarez said. “It was kind of hard the last game. It was a good game, but we just couldn’t keep up with Ludlow.

 

“But I think we’re going to start our streak again and keep it going and, hopefully, go to Western Mass and beyond.”

 

The last time Mount Greylock went on a run, it lasted an entire season, through the 2023 State Championship match and into the third week of this season before the Lions took a five-set decision last week.

 

Alvarez said it was good for the team to have a little distance between Wednesday’s road loss and Monday’s match against Wahconah.

 

“It was definitely needed,” she said. “I think our team, everyone was getting sick a little bit. It’s that time of the year. So it was nice to get a day off, or a couple of days off, and come back swinging.”

 

Kelsey MacHaffie came up with a big swing for a kill early in the first set to help establish a 4-1 lead. And she delivered three straight aces in her first turn at the service line to make it 9-3 out of the gate.

 

MacHaffie finished with five aces and a pair of kills in the win.

 

Wahconah rallied late in the set, getting within two with a pair of points on Taea Cunagin’s serve to get to 20-18. But the Mounties got a side out, and Olivia Perez served out the set, notching two of her four aces and getting the final point on a kill by Kiera Kristensen.

 

In the second set, long service runs by Jullian DeChaine and Annabelle Coody gave Mount Greylock an insurmountable 18-8 lead.

 

DeChaine had a couple of aces to start her five-point run on serve.

 

Wahconah coach Dave Lussier said his squad struggled with both its serve and serve receive. He indicated that consistency has been an issue for Wahconah (5-3).

 

“We’ve had a couple of matches where we dipped like this,” Lussier said. “At the beginning of our season with West Springfield, we had a dip like that. And then Ludlow was a big dip with them, too. … Then we come out and play strong against other teams.

 

“It’s kind of the flow we’re going through. We still have a lot of confidence in this team. We have a lot of good players and good weapons. We’ll go to practice tomorrow and pick it up on Wednesday.”

 

Emma Jacinto led Wahconah with seven kills on Monday. Eve Colombari passed out 10 assists, and Olivia Cole-Carr had eight digs.

 

Colombari served three points in a row to start the third set and give Wahconah’s fans hope that they would get back in the match.

 

But after a sideout to the Mounties, Kylie Sweren served seven points in a row to build an 8-3 lead.

 

Moments later, Perez’ second kill of the set pushed the margin to six points, and Wahconah never got closer than that the rest of the way.

 

Perez is one of a number of Mounties who have stepped into starting roles this fall after an exodus of talented seniors from last year’s state title squad.

 

“She is a middle we have playing in an outside spot,” Mount Greylock coach Greg Geyer said of Perez. “We’re switching her to the middle sometimes. Really good head on her shoulders, works incredibly hard – which all the players do. She’s a great addition to the team.”

 

Mount Greylock (8-1) goes to Lee on Wednesday.

 

Wahconah is at West Springfield on Wednesday.