
You change nothing.
“It’s really exciting,” Rocky Grove coach Mike Stevenson said. “Especially since this is not a position that Rocky Grove has been in before. But we can’t let our emotions get in the way of us getting the job done.”
The Lady Orioles will make the near hour-long drive to West Middlesex on Friday night with sole possession of first place in Region 1 likely on the line.
West Middlesex does have a region match against Mercer scheduled for Thursday. But the Big Reds handled the Mustangs, who have just two wins on the season, in their first meeting back on Sept. 21. With a win, the Big Reds would move to 9-0 in Region 1 and tied with the Orioles, who have a non-region match against Lakeview on Thursday night.
West Middlesex and Rocky Grove meet again on Oct. 19.
With COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the Orioles’ schedule early on, not much time was afforded to Stevenson and Co. to get a look at West Middlesex throughout the campaign. So they will head into the contest with some uncertainty. One thing is for sure: the Orioles will have to continue to do the one thing that has put them in position to win a region title: serve well.
Rylee Reed already had 11 aces for the week going into Thursday. Courtney Clark had 10.
“I expect to see two good volleyball teams on the floor,” Stevenson answered when asked how he feels the Orioles match up against WM.
It should be a very exciting few days for the Orioles and their friends.

If you think Rocky Grove vs. West Middlesex is the only gem on the volleyball lineup this week, think again.
You may want to find yourself a seat at Conneaut Area Senior High School. The Lady Eagles are playing some phenomenal volleyball right now and could lock up a share of yet another region title with a win.
Who do they have to beat to do that? None other than their biggest rival Meadville, who is responsible for the Eagles’ lone region loss.
Region 5 has been a dandy all season long. There are only five teams in the region and they are all pretty solid. Hickory sits in last place in the region with five losses. One of those losses was in five sets against Warren. The Hornets also fell in five to Meadville.
Meadville is coming off a three-set loss to Warren in which the Lady Bulldogs made 20 hitting errors, while averaging just over seven kills per set. CASH, meanwhile, topped Hickory in four sets on Tuesday with Amber Clark dishing out 42 assists. Kaylee Mattera had an 18-kill, 19-dig double-double. Sylvia Prebor had eight blocks.
Conneaut is 8-2 overall and 5-1 in Region 5. Meadville is 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the region - a half-game back of Warren (6-8, 4-2) for second place in Region 5.
Cochranton suffered its first loss of the season on Monday. The Lady Cardinals fell to Maplewood in their annual breast cancer awareness meeting. Set scores were 21-25, 25-15, 25-15, 25-21.
Cochranton still has a two-game lead on Saegertown for first place in Region 2. The Cardinals are 7-1 overall and 5-0 in Region 2.
Maplewood also picked up a win over Franklin on Tuesday, 25-13, 25-16, 25-11. Sadie Thomas had 16 kills and 12 digs.
The Tigers are 9-4 overall and 7-1 in Region 3. Sharpsville leads the region at 8-3 overall and 6-0 in the region. Lakeview is 8-3 overall and 7-1 in the region.
Franklin is 6-9 overall and 4-5 in Region 3; Titusville is 2-8, 2-6; and Oil CIty is 2-12, 1-7.
The Rockets had a big win last week, knocking off Greenville (5-5, 5-3 Region 3) in five sets on Oct. 6. Maplewood plays Greenville Thursday night.
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