SCARBOROUGH—With the postseason just beyond the horizon, it’s no surprise to see Greely’s volleyball team hitting its stride.

Tuesday evening at Alumni Gymnasium, on Breast Cancer Awareness Night, the Rangers faced the latest in a season-long series of showdowns when they traveled to face Scarborough, a team which beat Greely earlier this fall.

The Rangers got off to a fast start, taking the first set, 25-19, as the serving and setting of senior Hannah Butland and the stellar net play of senior Alex Tebbs and junior Kayley Cimino led the way.

Greely then rallied from a 21-20 deficit in the second game, riding a late surge by Tebbs to prevail, 25-23.

Not surprisingly, the Red Storm weren’t about to go quietly and they erased an early game three deficit and went on to a 25-21 triumph, thanks in large part to the serving and setting of junior Caroline Goodwin.

While most on hand expected this match, like most involving top contenders this season, to go the distance, the Rangers had other ideas and they broke an 18-18 tie on consecutive Cimino aces and went on to a 25-20 fourth set victory, taking the match, 3-1.

Greely improved to 8-3, earned some valuable Heal Points and dropped Scarborough to 7-3 in the process.

“We’ve been (in close matches) so many times this season, so we keep our energy up the whole match,” said Cimino. “We don’t let ourselves get down. We were expecting five sets. We thought it would be a long night. They’re a very good team.” 

Top contenders

Matches between the state’s top volleyball powers this fall have been marked by how little separation exists between them.

Greely and Scarborough are certainly championship-worthy.

The Rangers began with successive five-set losses to Falmouth and Scarborough, then eked out a 3-2 win over Cape Elizabeth and hit their stride by blanking Cony, Kennebunk and Cheverus, before rallying for an improbable five-set victory at Yarmouth. A 3-0 win at Biddeford was followed by a 3-1 loss to visiting Cape Elizabeth, which snapped a six-match win streak. Last Thursday, Greely rallied for a four-set home win over Falmouth, putting the Capers in their rearview mirror.

“We weren’t worried about Cape, that match wasn’t like us at all,” Cimino said. “It was a very off night. No one played like they can. Me included.”

“Cape’s a good team,” added Rangers coach Kelvin Hasch. “They’re starting to jell now. We split with them, so I’m not worried.”

The Red Storm opened with a 3-1 home win over Cape Elizabeth, then eked out a five-set thriller at Greely. After falling in five-sets at Yarmouth, Scarborough had no trouble with visiting Biddeford and Gorham, sweeping both teams. After outlasting visiting Falmouth in five sets, the Red Storm won, 3-0, at Cony, eked out a thrilling 3-2 home win over Yarmouth, then last Thursday, had their five-match win streak snapped with a 3-0 loss at Cape Elizabeth. 

Greely won the first 20 meetings between the schools and after Scarborough won all three encounters in 2013, including one in the state semifinals, the Rangers eked out a 3-2 win at Scarborough last year in the lone showdown.

Tuesday, Greely avenged its loss from Sept. 8.

The Rangers hinted at big things to come when Tebbs sandwiched a pair of kills around one from Cimino for a quick 3-0 lead in the first set. Scarborough would rally and go on top, 7-5, but Greely retook the lead on a Cimino ace. After ties at 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, and 11-11, a Tebbs kill gave the Rangers the lead for good. Butland followed with a pair of aces and another service point to make it 15-11. The Red Storm got back within 17-14 on an ace from senior Emily Hanson, but Greely didn’t wilt and a kill and a block from junior Molly Chapin got the Rangers close and Cimino closed out the 25-19 victory with her third kill of the game.

In that set, Cimino also had four assists and an ace, Tebbs had four kills and Butland had four assists and five service points, including a pair of aces. 

A kill from junior Jordyn Cowan gave Scarborough the first point of the second game, but Greely gradually seized control, thanks in part to several Red Storm service faults. A 5-5 tie quickly turned into a 15-7 Rangers’ lead, as Butland went on a long service run and Cimino had a pair of kills. Scarborough roared back and tied the score, 17-17, thanks to the work of Cowan at the net and strong serving from junior Haley Nelson. After a Cimino kill, junior Libby Chadbourne tied it with a block and junior Emma Budway delivered an ace to put the Red Storm on top, 19-18, but Chapin tied it with a kill. Scarborough then went up, 21-19, on a Greely service fault and an ace by senior Taylor Marinko, but Tebbs had consecutive kills, the Rangers got another point to take the lead for good and Tebbs had another kill to make it 23-21. After Cowan got a point back with a kill, Tebbs had a kill to put Greely on the brink. The Red Storm stayed alive, but on the next point, Scarborough hit the ball out and Greely had a 25-23 victory and a 2-0 lead in the match.

Butland was the difference with six service points, including three aces, and seven assists. Cimino added five kills and three assists.

Four blocks and two kills from Marinko went for naught.

The Red Storm did what they had to in the third set to keep the match going.

A kill from Nelson got things started and a Nelson kill, an ace from sophomore Kacey Foerster and another point made it 4-1. Greely came back to tie the set, 4-4, then took an 11-7 lead, but a kill from Foerster, two from Cowan and a pair of Marinko aces helped spark a 6-0 run. The Rangers tied the game, 13-13, but the hosts, thanks to an ace from Goodwin and a kill from Foerster rattled off three straight points. Scarborough eventually took a 19-14 lead on a Cowan kill, but Greely scored the next five points, highlighted by three Tebbs aces, to tie score again, 19-19. A kill from Nelson put the Red Storm on top for good and after a great dig from Hanson, Marinko’s kill made it 21-19. A kill by junior Lauren Murley got a point back for the Rangers, but Scarborough got a kill from Hanson, a kill from junior Jillian Harvie after a great save by senior Chloe Gorey, an ace from Nelson and after Chapin got a point back with a kill, a Hanson kill ended game three, 25-21, in the Red Storm’s favor, sending the match to a fourth set.

In the third game, Nelson had four kills, Goodwin added seven aces and three service points and Marinko had five service points, including a pair of aces. 

Tebbs’ two kills and six service points couldn’t close out the match.

Heading into the fourth set, Hasch’s message was simple.

“I told them, ‘I don’t want to go five,'” Hasch said. “I said, ‘Let’s go out there and play hard and don’t let the ball touch the floor.'”

Butland started the fourth set with an ace, then faulted, and Scarborough got the next two points for a 3-1 lead. Greely rallied to tie on a Tebbs ace, but a fault put the Red Storm back on top. An ace from sophomore Coco Petrone and a Cimino kill produced a 7-4 Rangers’ lead, but a nice service run, capped by an ace by Nelson, made it 8-7 in favor of the home team. The score was tied, 8-8 and 9-9, but consecutive points put Greely ahead. A Chapin kill and a Chapin ace stretched the lead to 13-10. After Scarborough got back within one, Tebbs had a kill. The Red Storm tied the score, 14-14, but a service fault put the Rangers on top. Scarborough drew even at 16-16 and 17-17, then took the lead for the final time on a Nelson ace, but Cimino answered with a kill, then delivered consecutive aces to put Greely ahead to stay, 20-18.

“Freshman year in this gym, my serves were terrible,” Cimino said. “I wanted to make a statement tonight.”

Out of a Scarborough timeout, Cimino continued to do it all, first diving to the floor for a dig, then capping the point with another kill to push the lead to three. After the Red Storm got the next point, Scarborough faulted yet again and Greely took a 24-19 lead on a Chapin block. The Red Storm momentarily staved off defeat when Marinko had her final kill, but after a nice save from freshman Lily Adams, the Rangers finished it off as Cimino set up Tebbs for a match-ending kill, giving Greely a 25-20 game four victory and a 3-1 match triumph.

“A  win’s a win,” Hasch said. “I thought we played pretty good the first two sets. We forgot how to pass in the third set. The fourth set started the same way, so I had to change it up. I had fresh girls on the bench. I wanted to see what they could do.”

Cimino finished with 14 kills, 12 assists and five aces.

“Setting’s my favorite,” Cimino said. “It’s my primary position. Hitting’s great too.”

“Kayley had to get the job done and she did the job for us tonight,” Hasch said. “When we stumbled in the third set, we couldn’t get her the ball. That’s 50 percent of our offense this year. She’s got to be close to the top of the list of best players in the state. She’d probably be in the top four.” 

Tebbs had 13 kills and five aces.

“Alex rotates all around,” said Hasch. “It seems like she got stuck in the back, so she had to pass a lot.”

Butland finished with 18 assists and 12 service points (including six aces). 

Chapin had six blocks, five kills and five service points. 

Petrone added six service points.

For Scarborough, Nelson had 12 service points, including four aces, and five kills, Marinko added eight kills, six blocks and five service points, Chadbourne had eight assists, Cowan wound up with eight kills and four blocks, Goodwin had seven assists and three service points and Hanson finished with 11 service points, including four aces. 

“We missed all our serves,” Roberts lamented. “Otherwise, it was an even match. Kayley was strong at the beginning, then we started digging and blocking her a little bit. We didn’t pass very well in game four.

“I think we’re a good team. We’ve had a couple opportunities to show we can be mentally tough, but we dropped the ball a little bit.”

Nothing’s settled

The only thing that’s for certain heading into the season’s final two weeks is that absolutely nothing is for certain in Class A volleyball.

Both teams are still very much alive for a high seed and both will be tested in their final matches.

Scarborough hopes to bounce back Thursday at Biddeford. After hosting Kennebunk, the Red Storm wrap up the season at Falmouth and Gorham.

“We’ll see if we can bounce back,” said Roberts. “The girls just have to believe in themselves and each other. We’re very nice, but we’re looking for some grit and attitude to put games away. We’ve worked very hard to be where we are now. I think we’ll be OK to make the playoffs and then it’s wide open. It’ll depend on who’s playing well two weeks from now.” 

Greely hosts Gorham Thursday, plays at Cony next Tuesday, then finishes at home versus Biddeford.

“We’re just going up from here,” Cimino said. “Everyone’s working hard in practice. We can’t take those teams lightly. I don’t think homecourt matters at all. We play great on the road, we play great at home. I think we can make a run.”

“I think we can play a lot better defense yet,” said Hasch. “We’ll work on that. I think our offense, once we play defense, will be right there. I think five or six teams are in there. On any given day, anybody can beat anybody. It’s fun. That’s the way it should be.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

Greely’s volleyball team celebrates a point during its 3-1 win at Scarborough Tuesday night. Teams wore pink uniforms for Breast Cancer awareness.

Chris Lambert photos.

Scarborough senior Chloe Gorey delivers a serve.

Greely junior Molly Chapin tries to get the ball over Scarborough senior Taylor Marinko.

Scarborough junior Jillian Harvie lofts the ball over Greely juniors Molly Chapin (14) and Kayley Cimino.

Scarborough junior Lilly Young sets the ball for junior Jordyn Cowan.

Greely junior Kayley Cimino spikes the ball over Scarborough junior Jillian Harvie.

Greely junior Molly Chapin blocks a shot by Scarborough senior Taylor Marinko.

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Previous Greely-Scarborough meetings

2015
Scarborough 3 @ Greely 2 

2014
Greely 3 @ Scarborough 2 

2013
@ Scarborough 3 Greely 1
Scarborough 3 @ Greely 0
Class A semifinals
@ Scarborough 3 Greely 1

2012
Greely 3 @ Scarborough 0
Class A semifinal
@ Greely 3 Scarborough 2

2011
@ Greely 3 Scarborough 1
Greely 3 @ Scarborough 1
Class A State Final
Greely 3 Scarborough 1

2010
@ Greely 3 Scarborough 0
Greely 3 @ Scarborough 2

2009
Greely 3 @ Scarborough 1
@ Greely 3 Scarborough 0
Class A quarterfinals
@ Greely 3 Scarborough 0

2008
Greely 3 @ Scarborough 0
@ Greely 3 Scarborough 0

2007
@ Greely 3 Scarborough 0
Greely 3 @ Scarborough 0

2006
@ Greely 3 Scarborough 0
Greely 3 @ Scarborough 0

2005
Greely 3 @ Scarborough 0
@ Greely 3 Scarborough 0

2004
@ Greely 3 Scarborough 0
Greely 3 @ Scarborough 0

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