Erick Starkey/News
Mount Vernon’s Corrick Croswell recieves a serve against Saint Charles Saturday on the first day of the Jackets’ boys volleyball season. Mount Vernon went 4-0 on the day.
MOUNT VERNON — The Mount Vernon boys volleyball team kicked off its season Saturday by hosting some of the top programs in the state, and the Jackets emerged 4-0 at the end of the day, downing two state-ranked teams in the process.
“It’s a great experience, especially coming in to my senior year,” Mount Vernon senior Brandon Grabow said. “We feel like we have a really strong team this year. It’s really fun to just be back with all my friends playing volleyball.”
The Jackets entered the day 10th in the Division I coach’s preseason rankings, while Saint Ignatius was fifth in DI and Saint Charles was second in Division II. On a day where matches were a best of three, the Jackets went to three sets with both the Cardinals and the Wildcats.
Mount Vernon closed out the day against Saint Charles, which won the DII state championship last season. The Cardinals jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the first set, but the Jackets found their footing and tied the set at seven apiece. It was neck and neck until the score was tied again at 17, but then the visitors turned on the afterburners. Saint Charles rattled off seven-straight points, with two aces from Jake Franz. Mount Vernon staved off the loss with two-straight points, but a Jacket error gave Saint Charles the 25-19 win in the first set.
“I think we came in thinking we were going to win, just because we were 3-0 and then they jumped on us quick,” Grabow said. “We just came out the next set and said, ‘We’ve just got to stay focused and hit our shots and stay in it.’”
The two teams started out the second set close, but a Corrick Croswell block put the Jackets ahead 9-5 and a Spencer Stanley kill gave Mount Vernon a 13-9 lead and a 14-10 lead. The Jackets found themselves ahead 22-17 and secured three-straight points, capped off by a Luke Whitacre block to seal the 25-17 win.
The Jackets carried the momentum of the win into the third set, rushing out to a 10-2 lead, thanks to an ace from Croswell and one from Grabow. A Grabow block gave Mount Vernon a double-digit lead at 16-6 and the home team cruised to the win, 25-15.
At the end of the match, Stanley had 17 kills and two assists. Croswell and Ryan McManaway each notched five kills and two blocks, while Croswell also had an ace. Landon Ewers had two kills and a block, while Jordan Hoag had an ace and two assists and Grabow kicked in two aces, two blocks and 25 assists.
Before taking on Saint Charles, the Jackets squared off against DI’s Saint Ignatius. Mount Vernon came out a bit sluggish after their lunch break and fell in the first set 25-20, before cruising to a 25-16 win in the second. In the third, the Jackets and Wildcats traded blows, but the Jackets had the last surge to win 25-23.
“We came back a little slow,” MV coach Chad Sivewright said of the team’s first game after a lunch break. “Saint Ignatius is obviously a really good team, so I think it was just playing a little flat early on in that first set. It really just showed who they are being able to fight through that and find some momentum and keep it going.”
Stanley had 17 kills, while Croswell kicked in another 11. Stanley also packed his stat line with an ace and a block, and Croswell had two blocks. Ewers had seven kills and a block, with Grabow kicking in three kills and 29 assists. Hoag led the team with 10 digs.
The Jackets kicked off the day against Archbishop Hoban and were able to win in two sets, beating the Knights 25-20, 25-19.
Mount Vernon amassed seven aces in the two sets, with three coming from Stanley, while Grabow tacked on two and Croswell and Whitacre each had one. Stanley and Croswell also led the way with six kills apiece, Whitacre had three and Grabow, Ewers and McManaway had two each. Grabow again led the way with 15 assists.
Before the lunch break, Mount Vernon handled Cincinnati Elder in two sets, winning both by a score of 25-20.
“They made really good adjustments to their game,” Sivewright said. “Early on in those first two matches, we were playing super physical and just showed a physical dominance, and by Saint Charles, it became smarter and playing more disciplined with the different skills and just playing smarter.”
Stanley again had a stellar game at the net, racking up eight kills and a block. Croswell had five kills, with Ewers and McManaway each notching three. Grabow finished with 21 assists.
“I think we just executed really well at all positions,” Sivewright said of the day. “I think everyone came to play today. That’s nice for me and us as a team to come out like that.”
The Jackets are now 4-0 after the opening day of the season, with a lot of games to play before the postseason.
“It means we’ve just got to work harder,” Grabow said of starting 4-0. “We’ve got to focus on keeping winning and keeping the momentum going.”
Mount Vernon has more action at the Olentangy Liberty Tri on April 5 at 6:30 p.m.
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The two teams started out the second set close, but a Corrick Croswell block put the Jackets ahead 9-5 and a Spencer Stanley kill gave Mount Vernon a 13-9 lead and a 14-10 lead. The Jackets found themselves ahead 22-17 and secured three-straight points, capped off by a Luke Whitacre block to seal the 25-17 win.
The Jackets carried the momentum of the win into the third set, rushing out to a 10-2 lead, thanks to an ace from Croswell and one from Grabow. A Grabow block gave Mount Vernon a double-digit lead at 16-6 and the home team cruised to the win, 25-15.
At the end of the match, Stanley had 17 kills and two assists. Croswell and Ryan McManaway each notched five kills and two blocks, while Croswell also had an ace. Landon Ewers had two kills and a block, while Jordan Hoag had an ace and two assists and Grabow kicked in two aces, two blocks and 25 assists.
Before taking on Saint Charles, the Jackets squared off against DI’s Saint Ignatius. Mount Vernon came out a bit sluggish after their lunch break and fell in the first set 25-20, before cruising to a 25-16 win in the second. In the third, the Jackets and Wildcats traded blows, but the Jackets had the last surge to win 25-23.
“We came back a little slow,” MV coach Chad Sivewright said of the team’s first game after a lunch break. “Saint Ignatius is obviously a really good team, so I think it was just playing a little flat early on in that first set. It really just showed who they are being able to fight through that and find some momentum and keep it going.”
Stanley had 17 kills, while Croswell kicked in another 11. Stanley also packed his stat line with an ace and a block, and Croswell had two blocks. Ewers had seven kills and a block, with Grabow kicking in three kills and 29 assists. Hoag led the team with 10 digs.
The Jackets kicked off the day against Archbishop Hoban and were able to win in two sets, beating the Knights 25-20, 25-19.
Mount Vernon amassed seven aces in the two sets, with three coming from Stanley, while Grabow tacked on two and Croswell and Whitacre each had one. Stanley and Croswell also led the way with six kills apiece, Whitacre had three and Grabow, Ewers and McManaway had two each. Grabow again led the way with 15 assists.
Before the lunch break, Mount Vernon handled Cincinnati Elder in two sets, winning both by a score of 25-20.
“They made really good adjustments to their game,” Sivewright said. “Early on in those first two matches, we were playing super physical and just showed a physical dominance, and by Saint Charles, it became smarter and playing more disciplined with the different skills and just playing smarter.”
Stanley again had a stellar game at the net, racking up eight kills and a block. Croswell had five kills, with Ewers and McManaway each notching three. Grabow finished with 21 assists.
“I think we just executed really well at all positions,” Sivewright said of the day. “I think everyone came to play today. That’s nice for me and us as a team to come out like that.”
The Jackets are now 4-0 after the opening day of the season, with a lot of games to play before the postseason.
“It means we’ve just got to work harder,” Grabow said of starting 4-0. “We’ve got to focus on keeping winning and keeping the momentum going.”
Mount Vernon has more action at the Olentangy Liberty Tri on April 5 at 6:30 p.m.
