Marisa Davidson has been the catalyst all season for Glenelg's volleyball team, and yesterday was no different.
Davidson staged a clinic in every phase of the game. And the Gladiators, who played their worst match of the season Monday in a three-game loss to Atholton, needed just over an hour to dismantle visiting Mount Hebron, 15-11, 15-12, 15-6.
"We knew their [Hebron's] strengths and weaknesses, and after the way we played Monday, we needed a spark," said Davidson, the Gladiators' 5-foot-11 junior hitter.
Davidson made her presence known mainly in the front row, where she recorded a team-high 12 kills and led the taller Gladiators (4-2) with three of their seven blocking points. She was just as effective in the back row, where she had a team-high seven passing points, several of them coming off of outstanding digs. She also was 12-for-13 serving, with three aces, another team-high.
"In every match, she [Davidson] has been our dominant player. She's great all the way around," said Glenelg coach Marlene Janis. "She keeps her feet moving all the time. She consistently gets the ball to the setter. She consistently puts the ball away."
Davidson got the Gladiators rolling in the first game. With Hebron (3-2) leading, 11-10, and the lead having changed hands three times already, her kill tied the score and her blocking point gave Glenelg a 12-11 lead. She then served out the game, finishing Hebron with an ace.
The Gladiators blew a 5-0 lead in the second game and trailed, 10-7, before outscoring the Vikings, 8-2 -- with all eight points coming on Hebron errors. In the third game, with Debbie Snyder serving, Glenelg ran off 11 straight points to turn a 3-3 tie into a 14-3 lead. Davidson had four kills during that stretch.
Snyder, a 6-foot hitter, also gave Glenelg a spark. She had eight kills on 17-for-19 hitting and had an ace to go with her 21-for-22 serving. Kirsten Franklin had two aces on 11-for-11 serving. The Gladiators committed only three service errors in 78 attempts.
* Centennial 3, Oakland Mills 0. Laura Taneyhill had seven kills, Krisha Svehla had five kills and an ace and Shannon Saltzman had three kills and two aces as visiting Centennial (6-0) downed Oakland Mills, 15-8, 15-3, 15-4
* Hereford 3, Overlea 1: Laura Lewis had five kills and Missy Hackett had seven aces as the host Bulls defeated the Falcons in a Baltimore County 2A-1A league game.
* Arlington Baptist 3, Grace Brethren 1: Lori Clelland scored 11 points off her serve as the Eagles (10-4, 5-2) beat visiting Grace Brethren, 15-4, 15-6, 11-15, 15-4 in a Christian School Athletic Association game.
* South River 3, Meade 1: Pam Patterson had 21 kills and Gretchen Sullivan had 28 assists as the No. 6 Seahawks (7-0) beat the host Mustangs (1-3), 15-8, 3-15, 15-5, 15-7 in an Anne Arundel County game. Stacey Thomas had five kills in 17 attempts for South River.
* North County 3, Chesapeake-AA 1: Karen Seymour had six kills as the Knights (3-3, 2-2) beat Anne Arundel County foe and host Chesapeake (0-6, 0-3), 15-8, 15-11, 8-15, 15-13. Brandy Weidner had four aces for North County.
* Severna Park 3, Southern-AA 0: Junior Julie Kasperzak had five kills and two aces to lead No. 2 Severna Park (6-0) over visiting Southern-AA (0-6), 15-0, 15-0, 15-1. Seniors Catherine Kirk and .. Kate Marks each had three kills and three aces in the winning effort.
The undefeated Falcons will likely meet No. 1 Centennial at the Bulldog Tournament at North Caroline High School on Saturday, Oct. 17.
* Old Mill 3, Northeast 0: Senior setter Christine Zellers served a perfect game, going 14-for-14. She served six straight in the first game and eight in the third -- with four aces -- to lead host Old Mill (5-2) over Northeast, 15-4, 15-7, 15-6.
* Atholton 3, Wilde Lake 1: Atholton's Kelly Smith and Kristen Pramick combined for 13 kills and nine aces as Atholton (4-2, 3-2) overpowered Wilde Lake, (0-5, 0-4), 15-6, 15-6, 13-15, 15-2 in Howard County League action.
* Broadneck 3, Arundel 1: Senior Julie Scott had 24 kills and junior Julie Barr had 14 as the Bruins (4-2, 3-1) beat host Arundel (3-3, 2-3) in an Anne Arundel County game, 15-12, 14-16, 15-5, 15-0. Jen Rapczynski served 16-for-16 and had 10 service points with three aces for Broadneck.
* Spalding 3, Catholic 1: Spalding's Amy Langville had 35 attacks, 10 kills, and four unassisted blocks while teammate Carrie Parsons added 32 attacks and nine kills as visiting Spalding beat Catholic, 15-13, 15-9, 13-15, 15-6 in a Catholic League A Division game.
* Hammond 3, Howard 1: Sonia Keiner had nine aces, nine kills and 22 points on serve as the visiting Bears (5-2, 4-2) beat the Lions, 15-10, 15-1, 10-15, 15-3 in Howard County action.