By BRENDAN McGAIR

Sports writer

Both top-seeded Central Falls and No. 2 seed Shea gained admittance to the Division III finals by taking care of business in the lone playoff contest that was required of both sides to win.
Monday evening’s semifinal round action took place at the respective home gyms of the Warriors and Raiders. Both schools needed just three games to garner victories, C.F. dispatching of Central by scores of 25-15, 25-10, 25-16. Shea also enjoyed a romp at Middletown’s expense, breezing to the tune of 25-17, 25-20, 25-15.
The two top teams in the league will now trade spikes in the championship match, set for Saturday afternoon at Keaney Gym on the URI campus. Central Falls and Shea met under similar circumstances a season ago, the Warriors completing an undefeated season with a sweep.
Both sides insist a runaway performance won’t be in the cards this time. That’s based primarily on the Oct. 21 meeting, when Central Falls was pushed to five games by Shea.
“We have to make sure we’re ready for Shea,” said Central Falls head coach Richard Sousa. “They have been playing good volleyball.”
Added Shea’s Chris Daily: “Our girls have always been nervous about playing C.F., but we proved the last time we met that we could hang with them. They are now excited to face them again and hopefully we show up with our ‘A’ game.”
Pressure is something the Warriors are coping with this week as they try to cop another undefeated campaign. “They haven’t lost a game in two years and eventually it’s going to catch up with you,” said Sousa. “Every time we play Shea, it gets closer and closer and we have to be ready for them.”
Senior captain Amber Charette led the Raiders with 14 kills while classmate Bella Koudriavtseva notched 11 points while serving. Tall and slender, Koudriavtseva does her best work when she's positioned close to the net.
“Bella has been our setter the last two seasons and has really stepped up her game,” notes Daily. “She keeps the ball in play whenever it comes near her.”
The Warrior whom Sousa plans to rely heavily on come this weekend is senior captain Alba Vargas, who is drawing interest from college recruiters.
“She’s our big hitter,” said Sousa. “She’s a great athlete and the heart of the team.”
While the Warriors accomplished enough en route to dispatching the Knights, Sousa says the same effort on display last night won’t be enough to dodge the Raiders.
“We missed 17 serves,” notes Sousa. “I told the girls that its playoff time any everybody is going to play that much harder and you have to play hard, too.”