MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Knowing that Maple Heights' football team is unbeaten is not uncommon knowledge, but its volleyball team is one of the best-kept secrets in Northeastern Ohio. The Mustangs swept visiting Canton McKinley, Eastlake North and Orange on Saturday and will travel to St. Joseph Academy for Tuesday's nonleague, regular-season finale with a 21-0 record for the...
Maple Heights’ Arielle Love, right, spikes past Eastlake North’s Wanda Snyder, left, and Becky Slocum on Saturday at Maple Heights High School.
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(Lonnie Timmons III / The Plain Dealer )
MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Knowing that Maple Heights' football team is unbeaten is not uncommon knowledge, but its volleyball team is one of the best-kept secrets in Northeastern Ohio.
The Mustangs swept visiting Canton McKinley, Eastlake North and Orange on Saturday and will travel to St. Joseph Academy for Tuesday's nonleague, regular-season finale with a 21-0 record for the first time in coach Betsy Smerglia's 24-year career.
"We're just trying to make history and keep on going," said Mustangs senior setter Tai Lattimore, who accounted for 22 of her 59 assists during the closing match against Orange (9-11). "We know everyone wants to beat the unbeaten team, so we've got to keep pushing and working hard."
Orange junior middle hitter Katie Jarrett admitted she and her teammates weren't aware of Maple's win streak but weren't surprised.
"We know they're good because we played them this summer," said Jarrett, who mustered seven kills against Maple. "They pick up everything, and they have very good hitters."
It would have been easy for the Mustangs to panic while trailing North, 18-8, in the second game, but they regrouped to clinch the match with a 17-5 run.
"We had some new players come in that rotation, and we weren't communicating, but it really didn't faze us because we've come back before," said 6-0 Maple senior middle hitter/Duquesne recruit Arielle Love, who dominated at the net all day by totaling 29 kills. "We've been down, 23-17, at least three times this year, but have come back each time."
Maple's goals at the outset of the season were to win the Lake Erie League Erie Division championship and advance to the Division I regional tournament for the first time in school history.
The Mustangs are halfway there after clinching the league title on Thursday with a win at Lorain.
"It starts with leadership, and Tai and Arielle are two of the best leaders I've ever had," said Smerglia, who has quietly compiled a 361-202 career record. "Arielle is experienced, she loves the game and she knows what it takes to win. We never have to worry about this group.
"They know how to get ready for a match, they have the best ball control of any of my teams and it's not all Arielle because she has solid supporting cast."
In the win against McKinley (3-14), sophomore lefty Taylor Johnson chipped in with five kills, and she added 12 digs against Orange. Senior Shirjoma Jacobs had 13 digs against North (3-17) before joining sophomore Arielle Sanders in the finale to combine for five kills and 10 blocks.
"I push them sometimes too hard, but that's where my assistant coach comes in," said Smerglia. "Dale Walter has been with me 14 years, he does a good job at being the buffer and the kids need someone like that."