EHS Roundup
EHS volleyball team qualifies for tourney
The Everett High volleyball team punched its ticket for a Journey to the Tourney with a 3-1 victory over Pope John on Senior Night last Monday.
Before earning their 10th win of the season, the Lady Crimson Tide honored the seven members of the Class of 2018 for their contributions to the EHS volleyball program: Chrystel Fortunat, who joined the team this year, and who had eight service points and three kills in the match; Giana Escobar, who joined the team as a sophomore, and who tallied two aces and made a number of key passes from the back row; Brenda Eleuterio, a vocal leader wrapping up her third season with the squad; Stephanie Ariste, a four year player, who had three kills in the opening set and two blocks in the third set; co-captain Gianna McDonald, another four year player, whose solid defense set up Everett’s offense; co-captain Isabella Lyles, a dominant front row attacker who had 10 kills, two blocks, and two aces in the win; and captain Yasmeen Guerrier, who joined the team as a freshman and played varsity as a sophomore, and who had six service points in the fourth and final set to go along with two kills.
“It was a great night for the team,” said head coach Mike Fineran. “Our seniors stepped up, our underclassmen chipped in, everyone contributed, and we got the win.”
Playing seniors only, Everett took the first set 25-12, but Pope John rallied to tie the match with a 25-21 win in the second set. The third set had been close when junior Janeka Vilmont started serving with Everett up, 14-10. She served the next 11 points, including an ace at set point. Sophomore libber (the term for the defensive specialist) Bianca May had seven aces, and junior outside hitter Kayla Gomes had three kills in the final set, which Everett won 25-17, clinching their first tournament appearance since 2010.
“It obviously feels great to make the tournament, but it makes it a little sweeter knowing how far we’ve come in just two years,” said Fineran. “The seniors who started four years ago had a tough run their first two years, when we won only three games total. They made the commitment to getting better, they stuck with it, and the results speak for themselves.”
Everett played its last home game of the season two nights later, dropping a tough 3-2 match to Medford. Lyles and Ariste combined for 21 kills, and Lyles and Guerrier had seven blocks to lead a furious Lady Crimson Tide comeback effort that just fell short.
The regular season ended on the road in Danvers, which has won the Northeastern Conference championship the past two seasons. Making the test tougher, Everett played without their captain, Guerrier (who was resting a knee tweaked against Medford) and their co-captain, McDonald, who was out sick.
Sophomore Saunti Burton made her first start on varsity and played well, assisting on eight kills and earning eight service points, in addition to playing well on defense.
“Danvers is an impressive team,” said Fineran. “They hit from everywhere, but we were right there with them for most of the match.”
In fact, Everett held the advantage for most of the second set, building a 17-12 lead before Danvers rallied for a 25-21 win. The third set was tied 11-11, and Everett had chances to tie the match at 13 and 14, before Danvers pulled away, winning 25-16.
“We got into the tournament on Monday, but we showed that we belonged there the way we played those last two games. Medford and Danvers are both tournament teams, and Danvers should be a high seed,” said Fineran. “But when we’re healthy and clicking, we can compete with anyone.”
Finer and his crew will learn their seeding and first-round tourney opponent today (Wednesday).
EHS cross country teams compete in NEC Meet
The Everett High girls and boys cross country teams competed in the All-League Meet of the Northeastern Conference Saturday morning at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield.
Aidan Salih was the top finisher for the boys, coming across the line in 39th place among the large field of almost 100 runners in a time of 18:42 over the 3.1 mile (5K) course. He was followed by teammates Jason Cardinale (46th in 18:50), Mario Rivera Ovied (65th in 20:14), Arthur Rosa (78th in 21:10), and Benjamin Cvitkvsic (89th in 21:57), who rounded-out the top five for the Crimson Tide.
Brendan Calderon (22:52) and Antonio Bonanno (23:14) also competed for Everett in the varsity race.
On the girls’ side, the Lady Crimson Tide were led by Sthefany Luma, who came across the line with a top-25 finish in a clocking of 22:43. Teammates Diana Lemus (55th in 26:00) and Olivia Marino (71st in 28:06) also competed for Everett,