After both having extra time off, the Ellsworth Eagles and the Hampden Broncos will shake off the cobwebs and square off against one another at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Considering both teams were shutout in their prior games, the pair is probably coming into this one with something to prove.
Ellsworth is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Maine's top teams: Washington Academy, who was ranked first in their home state at the time (Ellsworth was ranked ninth). Ellsworth came up short against Washington Academy on Thursday, falling 3-0. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Ellsworth took the loss but they managed to make steady progress, increasing their score in every set they played. The match finished with set scores of 25-6, 25-11, 25-14.
Meanwhile, Hampden came up short against Mount Desert Island on Thursday, falling 3-0.
While Hampden was not able to make it on the board, they still kept things close, especially in the second set. The final score came out to 25-16, 25-20, 25-23.
Ellsworth's loss dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Hampden, their defeat ended a four-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 3-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Wednesday's contest: Ellsworth has serving mastered this season, having averaged 13.4 aces per game. However, it's not like Hampden struggles in that department as they've been averaging 16.4. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Ellsworth took their win against Hampden in their previous matchup back in October of 2023 by a conclusive 3-0. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Hampden's Ava Downs, who had 27 digs and five aces. Now that she won't be playing on Wednesday, will it be easier for Ellsworth to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
