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Volleyball: River Ridge Outlasts Mitchell

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Eddie Daniels/The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 12, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - By the time the final point was scored Thursday night, the final game of the River Ridge/Mitchell match resembled the final round of a heavyweight fight than a volleyball match.

River Ridge served for match-point twice – as did Mitchell - before ending the marathon of Game 3 and left as the last team standing inside the Jim Valentine Athletic Complex, 25-17, 25-9, 35-33.

This is the first time a Heidi Castelamare-led squad has ever scored 35 points in a match.

"It's game-point, I have one server [Lauren Sansonetti] in and then she comes back to serve again for game point," Castelamare said. "I'm like, how does that happen?"

The victory puts the Sunshine Athletic Conference on the line when River Ridge hosts Zephyrhills Oct. 18.

Mitchell started off hot in Game 1. After tying the match, 4-4, Mustangs setter Lea Weber collected five service points, giving Mitchell (16-7) a 9-4 advantage. That lead was whittled by River Ridge (19-5) and on Brianna Rish's second serve, which resulted in a lift call against Mitchell, the game was tied, 11-11.

Brooke Castelamare put the game out of reach with hard, low serves, which netted three aces, a lift and nine points.

Thursday night was also about things beyond the court.

In the backdrop of the contest was the Oct. 4 death of Dennis Dodd. Several River Ridge players were set to attend his funeral Thursday, including Alex Laton, the best friend of Dodd's daughter, Molly, a River Ridge swimmer.

Because no other time could be agreed upon between the two teams, the game began at 6 p.m. It ended at nearly 7:30 p.m.

The irritation from the inability to schedule a new time likely was a factor in River Ridge's relentlessness against Mitchell.

"I tried to move the game up for a funeral my kids tried to go to and they missed it because we couldn't move it up or change the date," Heidi Castelamare said. "The girls are kind of upset, which got the fire going as well."

In Game 2, Mitchell fell victim to a Royal Knights offense that attacked from several angles. The squad's outside hitters had nine kills, as did the middle hitters, while the right side hitters had 14 kills.

Credit that to Royal Knights setter Kelly Hughes.

"I think we wanted it more and it showed," Hughes said. "Our level of play keeps going up every game since [the season-opener against] Land O' Lakes. Every time we face another opponent like this that's really strong, we know to pick it up more."

Laton led the Royal Knights with nine kills and was followed by Brittney Frey (six), Brooke Castelamare (five kills, eight aces), Hughes (five kills) and Emily Lehman (four kills).

This is the first time River Ridge has beaten Mitchell in two seasons.

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214 or edaniels@tampatrib.com.

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