In an intense Wednesday evening contest, the East Hartford Hornets upset West Hartford’s Conard boys volleyball to knock them out of the Class L State Tournament.
Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance
By Bridget Bronsdon
Sooner or later every athlete comes to learn that no outcome is set in stone, they must be prepared to expect the unexpected and every once in a while, the underdog comes out on top. Unfortunately for the Conard boys volleyball team, it was not their day.
To East Hartford’s luck, No. 13 in Class L, they toppled Conard, the No. 4 seed. As for the Red Wolves, their massively successful season has now come to an end, but despite the abrupt ending, they put up an honorable fight and left all they had on the court.
Conard vs East Hartford volleyball. May 29, 2024. Photo credit: Bridget Bronsdon
From the jump, the Red Wolves and Hornets appeared to be on an even playing field. As soon as East Hartford made advances, Conard soon followed. Thanks to seamless blocks, cross-court attacks, and effortless connections, both teams weren’t going down without a fight.
Even though the squads advanced to a 7-7 tie in the first set, Conard was largely successful due to their team chemistry and formidable spikes. With the help of Tristan McClay, Aidan Plamondon, Dominic Belyaev, and Lucas Hartland dominating the net, Conard made monumental offensive progress.
As the points crept into the teens and the Red Wolves found their groove, they began to separate from the Hornets. Although they were being chased down, Conard maintained their composure and refrained from getting too frazzled. Jayden Du was essential on the court as his relentless spikes continually made their way past East Hartford’s blocks.
As the teams continued to play a game of cat and mouse, the score was continually tied up. 16-16, 18-18, 19-19, then 24-24. One group needed to pull away and just in the knick of time – and the Hornets capitalized on an offensive surge and spiked their way to a 26-24 set victory.
Conard vs East Hartford volleyball. May 29, 2024. Photo credit: Bridget Bronsdon
Despite the close fall, Conard kept their heads up and luckily, it paid off. In no time, the Red Wolves found a healthy lead to advance to 19-14 in fast-paced action in the second set. With a hunger unlike before, the Red Wolves set, blocked, and spiked their way to their first set win and the most notable advantage of the day, 25-16.
Conard vs East Hartford volleyball. May 29, 2024. Photo credit: Bridget Bronsdon
As Conard tied up the score 1-1 and brought the squads back on even playing fields, the third set was anyone’s game. However it quickly became clear that both groups were hungry for the win as they immediately tightened the competition.
Once again, the groups played a game of catch up. As soon as Conard made advancements, East Hartford followed suit and for the better half of the set, Tyler Richards and Rafael Ortiz were key players in Conard’s blocks.
In no time, the two were chasing each other down. Despite exceptional rallies on both sides of the net, the Hornets finally pulled away at 10-7, but with the Red Wolves in close pursuit, the Hornets couldn’t get too comfortable.
Conard vs East Hartford volleyball. May 29, 2024. Photo credit: Bridget Bronsdon
Conard once again tied up the score, 14-14 and after trailing for the majority of the set, they finally overtook the Hornets 19-18.
With the benches on the edge of their seat and the pressure at a climax, the Hornets once again tied up the score 21-21, then 23-23. In a similar fashion to the previous sets, East Hartford took the final two points of the match after a fantastic rally and a near impossible spike.
As the third set came to a close at 25-23, the Hornets were in favor 2-1 and only needed one more win.
Conard vs East Hartford volleyball. May 29, 2024. Photo credit: Bridget Bronsdon
In the fourth set, tensions were at their highest and it was all or nothing. The Hornets could either emerge victorious or Conard would send the game into a fifth set. With both the game and the advancement in the state tournament on the line, the hunger, drive, and passion on the court was palpable.
As the set began, Conard took control and upped the ante by taking an early 10-5 lead. Although the Hornets were nipping at their heels, Conard appeared to click and played in a more dynamic and energized fashion than before.
East Hartford, on the other hand, didn’t lose themselves in the deficit as they continued to breathe down Conard’s neck.
As the final points of the game arrived, the squads once again tied up 22-22. With just a few points remaining in the game, the energy was electric.
Unfortunately for Conard, East Hartford carried out a swift execution and clinched the final two points of the match to knock out their higher seeded opponent, 25-23. “We’ve been doing this all season and haven’t been able to break through. I think emotionally they finally clicked and got through,” said East Hartford head coach Jorge Limeres.
Conard vs East Hartford volleyball. May 29, 2024. Photo credit: Bridget Bronsdon
As for Conard head coach Kerry Roller, she encouraged her players to think a bit deeper about the game. “Basically what I was telling my guys was to use their volleyball knowledge to try and make them work a little bit harder and to not give them the easy ball,” she said.
Despite falling just short, Conard’s efforts do not go unnoticed as their cavalry of athletes displayed immense talent and their season record, 16-4, will remain an exceptional accomplishment. Although Conard’s season is over, East Hartford will face Westhill High School in the quarterfinal round of the tournament on Friday evening.
Conard vs East Hartford volleyball. May 29, 2024. Photo credit: Bridget Bronsdon
Conard vs East Hartford volleyball. May 29, 2024. Photo credit: Bridget Bronsdon
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