The Cheshire Rams will head out on the road to square off against the Sacred Heart Academy Sharks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Cheshire's victory against Shelton wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Rams narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Gaels 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Rams have posted against the Gaels since September 7, 2023.
In the two sets Cheshire was on fire: they won each by at least ten points. The match finished with set scores of 25-15, 25-29, 25-15.
Meanwhile, Sacred Heart Academy entered their tilt with Shelton on Friday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They were the clear victors by a 3-0 margin over the Gaels.
Sacred Heart Academy's got stronger as the match went on, holding Shelton to fewer and fewer points set over set. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-19, 25-18, 25-13.
Cheshire better focus on containing JJ Kirck and Aliya Church as the pair were huge in Sacred Heart Academy's win. Kirck had 14 digs and three assists, while Church had eight digs and four aces. That's the most aces Church has posted since back in September.
Cheshire's record now sits at 12-9. As for Sacred Heart Academy, their record is now 16-1.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's matchup: Cheshire has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 13.3 aces per game. However, it's not like Sacred Heart Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 14.2 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Cheshire couldn't quite get it done against Sacred Heart Academy in their previous meeting back in September as they fell 3-1. Can the Rams avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
