No. 9 Coginchaug ends season for Canton spikers with a 3-0 victory

Canton junior MacKenzie Archangelo (9) hits the ball during Monday’s Class S volleyball tournament game in Durham. The Warriors were eliminated, 3-0. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

DURHAM, Nov. 11 – The Canton High girls volleyball team returned to the postseason this fall for the first time since 2016 and earned invitations to play in the NCCC Tournament and the Class S tournament.

The Warriors won two of their final four matches and with victories of Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (HMTCA) and East Windsor, Canton finished 9-11 – the second-best record in the history of the young girls volleyball program in Canton.

Behind 19 kills from Julia Hassett, league champion Coventry beat the Warriors in the first round of the NCCC tournament, 3-0 (25-5, 25-9, 25-7). Coventry eventually won the NCCC Tournament for the fifth time in the last three years with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Granby, 19-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-19, 15-7. It was the first time that the title match had gone to five games.

Mackenzie Archangelo, who leads the Warriors with 102 kills, 61 service aces and 174 digs on the year, was named to the All-NCCC team before the championship match.

Canton’s Anna Mitchell hits the floor to get a dig during Monday’s Class S tournament game in Durham. Coginchaug eliminated the Warriors, 3-0. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

No. 24 Canton also earned their third invitation to the Class S tournament and traveled to Durham to face No. 9 Coginchaug Regional. The host Blue Devils eliminated the Warriors, 25-14, 25-19, 25-17.

Ciara Cebollero had three hits to lead the Warriors while Alyssa Peters had two kills. Senior Morgan Giblin had a team-high six digs while Archangelo had three digs. Emma Mates, who led the team with 133 assists this season, had three assists against Coginchaug.

Sophia Mates and Katelynn Horvath each had two aces while serving.

Under fifth-year coach Eileen Holden, Canton finished the season with a 9-13 record and 3-7 in the NCCC.

Canton’s Michaela Keen makes a pass during Monday’s Class S tournament game in Durham. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)