MERIDEN — If you like five-set volleyball drama, with a dash of school record-breaking thrown in, Oregon Road was the place to be Friday evening.
While Wilcox Tech was battling to a full-match victory against Platt Tech, Platt senior Eva Dudley was next door becoming her program’s all-time leader in kills.
With 15 put-aways against South Windsor, Dudley eclipsed Gabriela Vazquez’s Platt standard of 738. Dudley is at 750 — and counting.
Dudley is in elite company. Vazquez put her name in the school record book while leading the Panthers to the Class L state championship in 2015. She was also Connecticut’s Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year that season.
With her 15 kills Friday night, Dudley now has 129 on the season, which ranks her among state leaders.
Dudley also delivered 19 digs against South Windsor. So did junior libero Isabella DeMatteo, who additionally tore it up at the service line with nine aces.
Oliva Long had a hand in pretty much everything, too. The senior amassed seven kills, six digs and five aces.
Great stuff. The only thing missing was victory. Platt fell in five as South Windsor rallied from a 2-1 deficit.
The Bobcats took the opening set 25-21. The Panthers answered 25-21 and 25-19. South Windsor recovered 25-17 in Game 4, then won it 15-12 in the fifth.
The visitors improved to 4-2 with the CCC interdivisional victory. Platt fell to 2-5.
Wilcox Tech 3, Platt Tech 2: Playing at home, the Wildcats were able to prevail in a see-saw CTC battle with the Panthers of Milford.
Game scores were 26-24, 22-25, 25-12, 15-25 and 15-10.
Behind the setting of Nilaika Galloza (9 assists), Sadie Vernon put down 10 kills for Wilcox. The duo also combined for 15 aces — eight by Galloza, seven by Vernon.
The victory snapped a four-match losing streak for the Wildcats, who improved to 2-5. They took that record into a Monday night match with Wright Tech in Stamford.
Southington 3, Bristol Central 0:In preparation for a weekend trip to New York, the Blue Knights swept a CCC crossover with the Rams 25-17, 25-16, 25-13 in Southington on Friday night.
In the process, SHS improved to 5-1 and handed Central (4-1) its first defeat.
Setter Megan Smith directed the Southington attack with 28 assists.
Cami Wessels put down a team-high 10 kills, but the Knights had balance. Natalee Grindle, Etta Rocco and Katrina Possidento all had six kills. Erika Davies delivered five.
Defensively, Alyssa Ferreira held down the fort with 20 digs. Wessels was good for nine and Gabriella Wanner whipped up six.
Possidento patrolled the net with three blocks.
Cheshire 3, Hamden 0: Like the Blue Knights, the Rams improved to 5-1 Friday night with a conference sweep at home.
CHS smoked the Green Dragons (3-4) by a count of 25-11, 25-3, 25-20.
Mary Nugent (13 assists) led the Rams in this SCC Hammonasset affair. Eva Catalonatto was a points machine with 10 aces and nine kills.
Wait, let’s double-check that … yes, 10 aces for the junior Catalanotto.
Kaelyn Fitzgerald added nine assists and Emma Danaher put away seven kills.
Sheehan 3, Hillhouse 0: The Titans rolled to 6-1 with the SCC Oronoque dusting of the Academics on Friday night at Sheehan.
At 6-1, MTS has the best record in the SCC behind only unbeaten Amity (7-0), which hosts Cheshire on Tuesday.
The Titans play Tuesday at Daniel Hand and host West Haven on Wednesday.
Branford 3, Lyman Hall 0:The Trojans stand at 1-6 in the wake of Saturday morning’s SCC Housatonic loss in Branford to the 5-1 Hornets.
The Trojans are in Shelton on Tuesday before starting a four-match homestand Wednesday versus Foran.