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The Firestone Falcons won their fourth straight City Series volleyball title on Thursday night, topping rival Ellet 3-1 at Kenmore High School.
AKRON, Ohio – The Firestone girls volleyball team had faced a minimal amount of adversity during its 2011 City Series schedule – that is until Thursday night at Kenmore High School.
With the City title on the line and its top two players at less than 100 percent, the Falcons (16-6, 13-0) turned to an unheralded junior for a lift.
Bethany Kormushoff provided 10 kills and five digs and was a calming influence in leading Firestone to its fourth straight league championship, defeating rival Ellet, 25-22, 19-25, 25-20, 25-21.
“Bethany really stood out today,” Firestone coach Stacey Myers said. “She did an excellent job in that front row playing big for us. The majority of her serves were in and on point and threw Ellet off balance. She also was in the back row for the digs.
“Bethany really stepped out and played big tonight. A lot of people sleep on what she does, but she’s been a big player on our team all season.”
After dropping the second game of the match, and their first game of the season to Ellet, the Falcons were on their heels.
Their junior City Series Player of the Year Paige Gravenstein tweaked her back midway through a decisive Game 3 and sophomore All-City middle hitter Sara Davis suffered a slight ankle sprain early in the fourth game.
However, the Falcons were not to be denied.
“When they had their big girl (Sara Davis) out, we should have gone ahead because they really didn’t have anyone in the front row we couldn’t match up with,” Ellet coach Tina Wallace said. “But, we just couldn’t get it done.
“I thought our serving killed us.”
Firestone led 3-1 when Davis left Game 4 and 13-9 when she returned. The Orangemen had pulled to within 20-18 when Gravenstein (5 kills, 5 digs) delivered her biggest hit of the night to make it 21-18. The Falcons then closed out the game and the match.
“I am so proud of my team. We all stepped up,” Gravenstein said. ‘We all covered. We all took up the slack. I’m proud of my team because we were so mentally strong.”
Davis, a dominant player for much of the season, had a roller-coaster match, trying to find a rhythm and yet persevered for seven kills, six blocks and five aces.
“When you mess up, you have to pick yourself up and sometimes I get a little too angry and that’s why my teammates are there,” Davis said. “They are so good with that. They always keep me up and it’s so great because they tell me that I’m the person that keeps them hyped when really they keep me hyped.”
Ellet (13-6, 10-3) led 11-7 and 19-16 in Game 1, but lost 25-22. The Orangemen used an array of dink shots by junior first-team All-City standout Christy Klinginsmith to claim the second game 25-19.
"Christy is the smartest player I've ever coached," Wallace said.
Firestone bolted to an 11-5 lead in Game 3 before Ellet rallied to a 15-14 lead. Davis then enjoyed her best stretch of the match with two kills and an ace as the Falcons rebounded for a 25-20 win.
Sophomore Lindsey Chafe, a second-team All-City selection, had a match-high 16 kills for Ellet.