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| League MVP Taylor Harris |
The Canton crowd was HUGE as hundreds of Cantonites made the trip to Worcester State University to support the Bulldogs- and that they did. The Green and White crowd was loud and proud throughout the entire match. Thank you Bulldog Nation!
The Championship was not just the culmination of a season's worth of sweat and work, it was really the culmination of nearly two decades of work, commitment, sweat and care put in by hundreds of Bulldog volleyball student athletes and coaches over the years.
I have witnessed thousands of high school athletic events, including many high stakes contests, but I can truly say that this match was as intense as anything I have ever seen. It was fast-paced, nerve-racking, back-and-forth, and filled with amazing athleticism and grit. Both teams were amazing but the Bulldogs found that little bit extra that made the difference.
It really was a true TEAM accomplishment. Our girls stuck together throughout the entire season, tournament and state final match- right until the end. Huge contributions were made all over the place. So many different girls made key plays to lead to the win. It was unbelievable how many different Bulldogs contributed to the success. But I would be remiss if I didn't recognize the 5th set heroics of Taylor Harris- Hockomock League MVP. Harris- much like her team- had plenty of highlights and some low moments in the Finals match. But when it really counted, down the stretch, when the Bulldogs needed their MVP to make big plays- she did. Taylor lived up to her MVP billing and made so many big plays at the biggest moments. Harris stepped up and fulfilled her role just as her teammates stepped up and fulfilled their roles. If that is not the definition of a TEAM win then I don't know what is.
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| Coach Pat Cawley strategizing with Coach Michelle Cawley |
Here are some other tidbits about the CHS Girls Volleyball State Championship:
1. It's a BIG DEAL!
2. This Girls Volleyball team becomes only the 8th team in CHS history to win a State Championship in any sport. Here they are:
a. Football- 1979
b. Field Hockey- 1979
c. Football- 1981
d. Field Hockey- 2004
e. Field Hockey- 2006
f. Boys Hockey- 2010
g. Boys Hockey- 2019
h. Girls Volleyball- 2019
3. Ever wonder what Division 2 means? Many high school sports fans assume that a D2 or 3 team must be a lower level than a D1 team. That a D1 State Championship is somehow a higher level than a D2 or D3. That is simply NOT TRUE. High School athletic divisions in Massachusetts are based solely on school enrollment. The large schools compete against each other in D1 while smaller schools compete in other like-enrollment divisions. There are many examples of D2 of D3 schools being as strong or stronger than their D1 counterparts. I'm not saying that our Volleyball team is "better" than the D1 champs, but I think it's important for people to know that D1 isn't necessarily a higher level of competition. A State Championship is a State Championship!
4. This championship is not only an accomplishment of our student athletes, but also of our amazing Head Coach- Pat Cawley. Coach Cawley has worked tirelessly on behalf of volleyball in Canton for many decades. She was inducted into the Massachusetts Girls Volleyball Assn. Hall of Fame in 2017. Her Bulldogs have won all but one Davenport title over that past 13 years. It's been an amazing run of success. Coach Cawley couldn't have done it alone. She has an amazing group of assistant coaches including her daughter Michelle Cawley, Anna Amico, Diane Beauchamp, and Amanda Hines. Huge shoutout to our former head coach Arunas Kuncaitis who was the founder of CHS Girls Volleyball and our first coach. Coach Kuncaitis has been in the stands supporting the Bulldogs since the day he retired. It was great to see him enjoying the Championship in Worcester Saturday.
5. The Bulldogs bested the 100 other D2 Girls Volleyball teams across the state that started the season with this as the ultimate dream.
6. We should all be proud of these Bulldogs. They are amazing role models for us all!
