Stoughton High Volleyball off to Fast Start

Stoughton coach Ken Gay said his team "unfortunately tends to be a slow starting team."

"But once we get going, we keep going," he said.

And that's exactly what the Black Knights did Friday against Foxboro in their home-opener. After dropping the first set 25-19, Stoughton came back, winning the final three sets 25-12, 25-19 and 25-12, respectively.

"Give Stoughton credit, they outplayed us the last three sets," Foxboro coach Dan Damish said.

"The first set was outstanding," Damish said of his team’s performance. "In the second, third and fourth [sets] we were thinking rather than reacting."

Stoughton is now off to a 2-0 start, also winning their season-opener at Coyle-Cassidy last Wednesday.

After dropping the first set against Foxboro, Stoughton built large leads in the second, third and fourth sets.

With the match tied one set a piece, Stoughton built a 13-6 lead to start the third, but Foxboro responded by scoring six of the next eight points to cut the deficit to only three, 15-12.

But that was as close as Foxboro could get, with Stoughton scoring the next four points and eventually taking the set.

The Black Knights cruised in what turned out to be the fourth and decisive set.

“It was a great effort by the whole team,” Gay said. “We don’t quit; it’s the signature of the program.”

One of Stoughton’s keys to victory was neutralizing Foxboro’s top player, Ashley Snyder.

The team targets the opponent’s “serial killer” each match.  “We needed to make sure we didn’t let [Snyder] beat us,” Gay said.

Gay also said Stoughton was able to set their plays in the last three sets of the match, something they weren’t able to do in the first.

“We didn’t set plays in the first set and we didn’t win,” he said.

One of the catalysts in setting the plays is Julia Quattrucci.  “She exudes leadership,” Gay said of his captain.

He also credited Katherine Chlus, Malykah Lopes and Anthony Jeudy for their respective efforts against Foxboro.

In the season opener against Coyle-Cassidy, Stoughton got off to a quick start, winning the first two sets, but then lost the next two sets. However, in the fifth and final set, Stoughton was able to “turn it back on” and clinch the five-set win.

Stoughton hosts Franklin on Tuesday at 4:45 p.m. They will travel to Oliver Ames on Friday for a 4:45 p.m. match.