Cumberland had a pretty good arrangement going against South Kingstown: keep the ball off the floor, get it to Lyla Parmentier, and let somebody up front deliver the bad news.
The recipient changed. The results usually didn’t.
The Clippers swept the Rebels in three sets, combining aggressive serving with purposeful ball movement and a lineup full of players willing to chase the difficult ball. Cumberland controlled the opener, 25–9, then answered stronger resistance to take the next two sets, 25–20 and 25–19.
South Kingstown fought hard. The Rebels produced diving recoveries, smart placements, and extended rallies that made Cumberland earn its points. But the Clippers had more answers—and several arrived with considerable force.
Cumberland controlled the point of attack at the net, driving spikes through the defense and turning back SK’s attempts to answer. The Rebels dug out some hard swings and kept impressive rallies alive, but the Clippers kept applying pressure—until another attack broke through or a block came straight back.
The reported totals add another view of that teamwork. MaxPreps lists Ashilaka with 14 kills and Parmentier with 26 assists. Parmentier and DiTomasso each recorded four service aces. The attack, the distribution and the service pressure all had a place in the numbers, just as they did in Cumberland’s strongest sequences.
Setting the Tone
Cumberland established its rhythm on the opening point: Gulianna Hasenfus passed, Parmentier set, and Darryl Ashilaka sent the ball over to start the scoring.
That combination would receive plenty of repeat business.
Hasenfus, Cumberland’s libero, helped build the early advantage with her passing and service pressure. Parmentier directed the offense, repeatedly moving the ball toward the left-side attackers and giving them opportunities to finish.
Ashilaka made those opportunities count. She covered her area well, moved into the middle when a rally demanded it, and returned to the left to attack with force. Bowie Legend supplied another dependable option from that side while contributing serves, recoveries, and strong finishes of her own.
When SK began anticipating another set, Parmentier had a quick touch over the net available, too. The distributor occasionally handled the delivery herself.
Ashley Asermely’s service run helped stretch an 11–5 advantage. Legend finished an attack off a set, a hard serve added another point, and Legend joined Jolee Farquharson at the net to turn back an SK attack for a 14–5 lead.
The Rebels had done the preparation. Cumberland declined the shipment.
Farquharson’s elevation and timing were a problem for SK throughout the match. She repeatedly rose to meet attacks, sent balls back with authority, and made the front line a difficult place to conduct business.
Cumberland finished the opener after Parmentier raced across for an overhead save, allowing the Clippers to return the ball before SK’s next attack hit the net.
A Second Set Worth Watching
The second set required more work.
Cumberland opened a 6–2 lead, but SK tightened its defense, recovered difficult attacks, and pulled even at 6–6. Several exchanges became contests of who could keep one more ball alive.
One featured Hasenfus diving in the middle of the court to lift a difficult ball toward Parmentier. The setter moved it to Ashilaka, who maneuvered over her fallen teammate and sent the ball deep into SK territory.
The Rebels ultimately won that rally to make it 9–7. They deserved the point. Cumberland’s effort still deserved a spot in the highlights.
Alexa DiTomasso added a sliding save during the sequence that brought the Clippers level at 13–13. Her effort showed up across the court: defending, serving, and finding chances to attack.
The teams remained close through 17–17. Parmentier’s serving helped Cumberland gain separation, but South Kingstown answered again to tie it at 19–19.
Then the Clippers produced the stretch they needed.
Legend passed to Parmentier for an Asermely finish. DiTomasso added service pressure, including an ace down the right sideline that caught SK watching.
On set point, Farquharson attacked, the Rebels recovered, and Cumberland rebuilt the play. Farquharson kept the ball up, Parmentier supplied the set, and DiTomasso came forward to deliver the cross-court kill.
Twenty-five–twenty. Two sets to none.
Dessert Saves the Point—and Steals the Scene
Lacey Dessert had already been steady in the middle and backcourt, handling difficult serves and turning opposing attacks into playable balls.
Then she produced perhaps the defensive play of the night.
An awkward deflection off Parmentier sent the ball toward the right sideline. Dessert raced after it, dove out of bounds, and reached underneath the falling ball with one hand, hitting it back toward the net.
Parmentier was waiting to finish the rescued play.
Cumberland’s teammates and supporters erupted. For an away match, the Clippers had found a way to make the gym sound awfully familiar.
That point captured an important part of the performance. The big swings drew attention, but somebody had to keep the ball available for those swings. Dessert repeatedly did that work. Later, she chased behind Hasenfus to recover another pass that had spun backward, keeping a difficult rally going.
Not every save became a Cumberland point. The effort stayed consistent.
A Lineup With Answers
The Clippers received contributions throughout the rotation.
Asermely provided solid serving and front-row play. Mia Mercure entered and competed at the net, while Riley Burke supplied another attacking option in the third set.
Legend’s all-around presence gave Cumberland another anchor. Ashilaka continued finding space—or creating trouble when space was scarce. Hasenfus handled the first ball and made important saves. DiTomasso played with energy and delivered in meaningful moments.
Farquharson remained a force at the net. On one third-set point, Legend’s strong serve produced an overpass, and Farquharson was waiting to spike it down. Her teammates’ celebration suggested they enjoyed that one about as much as she did.
Through it all, Parmentier kept directing traffic.
Cumberland’s most effective sequences had a recognizable rhythm: Hasenfus or Dessert controlled the first touch, Parmentier moved into position, and the ball traveled left toward Ashilaka or Legend. Farquharson demanded attention in the middle, and Asermely and the other attackers gave SK additional threats to cover.
There was leadership across the court and more than one player capable of settling, extending, or finishing a rally.
Closing It Out
South Kingstown stayed competitive in the third set, cutting Cumberland’s advantage to 21–18 before Farquharson answered with another point at the net.
The Clippers reached 24–19, putting Hasenfus at the service line for match point. Cumberland won the final rally to finish the set, 25–19, and complete the sweep.
The Rebels made them work. Cumberland responded with reliable passing, sharp setting, powerful finishing, and defenders who treated a ball heading out of bounds as a problem still worth solving.
The finishing was impressive.
The teamwork that kept making it possible was even better.
Statistics update · October 2: Individual varsity totals are attributed to MaxPreps’ September 28 recap. That report lists set scores of 25–13, 25–19 and 25–19, which differ from the replay-based scores used above. The 3–0 result agrees; the set-score discrepancy remains unresolved.
JV Clippers Sweep South Kingstown, Too
Before the varsity Clippers took the court, Cumberland’s JV team had its own sweep to finish. The Clippers beat South Kingstown 25–13, 25–19 on September 28.
The opening set was close at 9–7, then Cumberland created room on the scoreboard: 17–9, 20–12, and finally 25–13. The second stayed tighter. Cumberland led 18–14 and then 23–19 before closing out the set, 25–19. South Kingstown made the Clippers work longer for that second finish, but Cumberland did not need a third set.
The varsity had the later start and the larger billing. JV had already written its own line in the gym’s ledger: two sets, two wins, and no need to wait around for a tiebreaker.
Reporting note: Set scores and the cited score progression were read from the replay scoreboard at sampled points. Individual kills, assists, and jersey numbers were not verified for this JV recap. Watch the NFHS Network replay.