Greenwich High advances to Class LL volleyball tournament semifinals by sweeping Wilton in quarterfinals

By David Fierro on November 13, 2021 • ( Leave a comment )

Photo by Cindy Saleeby: Greenwich moved on to the state semifinal by defeating Wilton in the quarterfinals, 3-0.

Greenwich entered the quarterfinal-round of the CIAC Class LL Girls Volleyball Tournament with only one loss all season, with the defeat coming against Wilton.

Well, the Cardinals certainly avenged their lone loss of the season in a big way on Saturday.

Excelling from the outset, second-seeded Greenwich recorded a decisive 3-0 victory over 10th-seeded Wilton in the Class LL quarterfinals. The 24-1 Cardinals will play third-seeded Darien in the Class LL semifinals on Wednesday at a neutral site yet to be announced.

Greenwich, which lost to Wilton. 3-0, on Oct. 27, won Saturday’s quarterfinals by game scores of 25-13, 25-20, 25-16.

“The girls were excited when they saw that we were going to play them (Wilton),” Greenwich coach Steve Lapham said. “Our team came out and fired up and focused and took control of the match. They were motivated, but also cool and kept a good balance, by not getting overly excited. They came to work today.”

Junior middle hitter Maggie Saleeby posted 10 kills, seven digs, eight service points and two aces to help pace the Cardinals. Senior Liana Sarkissian registered 13 kills, six digs and five service points, while senior outside hitter Adele Sotgiu tallied nine kills, nine digs, 10 service points and two aces in the winning effort.

Photo by Cindy Saleeby: Adele Sotgiu helped lead Greenwich past Wilton in the Class LL quarterfinals.

“We talk about trying to get better each day and they have improved their overall defense and not letting anything drop on the floor,” Lapham said. “They are anticipating everything. We are trying to cut down on the mental errors.”

Senior Sophie Jones notched five kills 10 service points and one block and junior setter Lucia Spanjol had 39 assists to go along with nine digs and seven service points for the victors.

Greenwich’s semifinal-round match will mark its third meeting against Darien this season. They are 2-0 against the Blue Wave, including a 3-1 triumph in the FCIAC Tournament final.

“You don’t beat Darien that often, so to beat someone three times in a row is tough,” Lapham said. “They serve so tough and move so well. We have to beat at our best to beat them.”