The Johnston boys volleyball team picked up a statement win when it held off Mt. Hope 3-1 (25-19/ 25-22/ 25-22/ 25-22) last week at home.
Mt. Hope entered the matchup in third place in Division III and boasted a 7-2 record while the Panthers were 5-3 and looking to climb the rankings.
The two teams split the first sets, but the Panthers, led by Balla Marone, took control in the third and fourth set to wrap up the win. Marone was dominant up front and led the team in kills on offense.
“I felt like my team really needed me out there and I had to go out there and do my thing,” said Marone of his late surge.
All four sets were competitive. The largest margin was in the first when the Panthers won by six points, but it was thanks to a late rally after the clubs were tied 19-19.
Getting the win in a playoff atmosphere will be big for the team moving forward, according to Marone.
“Right now, we’re really confident and this is going to boost our mentality. We want to win a championship, we really want to win that third one in a row,” Marone said.
The Panthers had an up and down start to the season after losing nearly its entire lineup from last year’s championship roster.
Captain Santo DiRaimo feels that the team is starting to find its rhythm and will be ready to go come playoff time.
“The energy was high. Coming off a win (against Davies), we had high hopes for today. We’re starting to gel together. In the beginning of the year, no one really knew each other,” said DiRaimo, who was also happy to see the team bounce back after dropping the second set to the Huskies. “It brought us down a bit, but we kept the energy high after that, came together and got the win.”
The Panthers improved to 6-3 with the victory and advanced to fourth place in DIII.
Johnston returned to the floor on Monday and picked up a 3-1 win over Exeter-West Greenwich for its third straight victory. Johnston maintained control of fourth place with the win and will next be in action when they take on North Providence at home on Thursday.