And that was just the lively junior varsit match, which was forced to finish early to ensure the locally televised varsity match began at 7 p.m. sharp.

The Falcons, who won the first All-American Conference match between these rivals, 3-2, on Sept. 3, started strong with an 11-3 lead.

But the Cardinals got the best of Fitch this time around, pulling off a sweep — 25-20, 25-20, 25-23.

“The girls flat-out wanted this,” said Canfield coach Brooklyn Scott, whose team concluded the regular season 17-4. “They were able to maintain their emotions and stay focused. Last time, the mental part of the game beat us. So we’ve grown up some.

Staff photo / Brad Emerine Canfield celebrates a kill from Grace Rosko as the Cardinals overcome an early eigh-point defecit to beat host Austintown Fitch 25-20, 25-0, 25-23 on Thursday night.

“We wanted to win so badly, they were just like frozen to start the match. I was like, OK, is this the way we’re going to play tonight? But the girls responded real well and got right back into that first game.”

In the Sept. 3 match, the Cardinals won the first two sets before the Falcons rallied. Fitch used that momentum to roll to the AAC title. The Falcons finished 7-1 in league play. The Cardinals took second place at 6-2, with their other loss coming against Boardman.

“We led 2-0 in our last match against them and let it slip away,” Scott said. “We had some bulletin-board material that really motivated our girls. Austintown did exactly what they needed to do last time. This time, we started a bit slow, but went up 2-0. We told the girls, we’re in the same position as the last match, so let’s stay focused.”

With strong passing from junior Riley Kinkade (15 assists) and sophomore Ally Quirk (17 assists), Canfield turned things around and dominated at the net.

“When we played them last time, we started rough but came back to win the last three,” said Fitch coach Jodi Bartlett, whose squad fell to 16-3 and finishes the regular season Thursday at Louisville. “Tonight, we didn’t have it in us. (Canfield) outplayed us. We did some nice things, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to get past the third set.

Fitch celebrates a fast start in game 1 against visiting Canfield on Thursday, but the Cardinals won 25-20, 25-20, 25-23.

“We served really well early in the first match and (Canfield wasn’t) receiving as well, so their passing was off some. That helped us get the big lead. But part way through that set, they fixed their passing, they started hitting well and our block wasn’t getting there. Then we were getting there, but their hitters hit around us and sometimes between us. They’ve got some smart hitters.”

Abbie Householder (14 kills) and Grace Rosko (12 kills) led the Cardinals’ offense at the net. Rosko did not have a hitting error in the match.

“I’ve never had a match like that, with no errors,” Rosko said. “I’ve been playing volleyball since I was in third grade, and I’ve never had a night like this. I’ve had more kills before, but never had an error-free match. That’s crazy. But let me tell you what, I couldn’t do that without every pass, every set and every defensive play we made tonight. It takes a whole team and an amazing coaching staff that trains and prepares you for every match.

“We took that loss earlier in the year personal and we watched the film and analyzed it. Then we worked on things. We were ready for tonight.”

Scott said the team is stepping up and improving at the right point of the season, thanks to her setters.

“When we’re passing that well, I mean, we’re very strong,” Scott said. “Grace had no hitting errors in the match and that’s so rare. She had her best (match) all year. We also had strong hitting from the outside tonight, so we didn’t have to rely on any one of them to carry the load. It all goes back to the passing.

“Riley and Ally were outstanding. Riley is a junior and Ally is a sophomore who just started setting two days before the season started. They’re getting better as the year goes on and that’s making us better as a team.”

The Cardinals also were solid defensively as a team. If they weren’t digging balls out, they were having a block party. Canfield had 13 blocks as a team, with Morgan Schneider leading with four. Rosko and Erin Chaplow had three apiece. Parker Williams had 12 digs, Kinkade had 11 and Householder added 10.

Canfield is seeded sixth in the 39-team Division I district tournament and has a first-round bye. The Cardinals will play host to Eastlake or Lake in the second round on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The Falcons were led by Jocelyn Jourdan (14 kills), Emma Bartlett (19 assists), Ella Sahli (15 digs) and Alyssa Leskovac (15 digs).

Fitch is seeded fourth in the district tournament and has a first-round bye. The Falcons will play host to Stow or Ellet in the second round Thursday, Oct. 22.

“I told the girls we need to work on our mistakes and learn from them,” coach Bartlett said. “We still have a match left to play and the tournament. There’s no need to hang their heads. They won the conference championship, and we need to finish the regular season strong to start the tournament.

“We’ve had a great season. This is the strongest group we’ve had collectively in a long time. They play great as a team and we’ve got seven seniors who have provided strong leadership. Our strength has been defense, but it wasn’t there tonight.”