It was a special night for the Seniors of the St. Anthony’s Girls Volleyball Team, and the game did not disappoint. The girls’ varsity volleyball team fell to SHA in the final set of an emotional regular season game.
Check out assistant coach Billy Quinn’s description of the match:
As the final home game and Senior Night for the team, each Senior was honored before the contest against Sacred Heart. The home crowd was enthusiastic, raising cutout posters of the Seniors, and cheering at every opportunity. The excitement of the night was just beginning.
The game was nerve wracking, remaining back-and-forth throughout the entire match. Neither team won back-to-back sets. As the game started, the Friars fell behind, losing a tight first set. Some in the crowd figured that it would a short match when the Friars found themselves in a deficit late in the second.
The Friars fought back, though, to win the comeback set 28-26. With neither team establishing any sort of momentum against the other, Sacred Heart took the third. Then, the Friars won a convincing fourth set. The stakes were high in the fifth set, and neither team backed down. Coming down to the wire, crowd roaring and emotions running high, Sacred Heart took the victory in heartbreaking fashion.
The Friars had stellar performances from many of their players. The Seniors clearly didn’t take the game lightly, leading in almost all statistical categories. Emily Rail was all over the court, diving her way to an impressive 36 digs. Nicole Karabaich led the team with 19 kills, and Mikyla Rodgers tallied 4 blocks. Assistant Coach William Quinn recognized Victoria LaPorte as “fantastic today.” Daphne Schiffman, who also delivered a rousing rendition of the National Anthem, dished out 29 sets.
Although the team was clearly disappointed by the outcome of the game, they gained confidence that they can compete with the best teams in the league. The Friars knew the game was not going to be easy, having lost to Sacred Heart in their first meeting. As Quinn put it, “They beat us pretty easily the first time, and we showed a lot of fight tonight,” adding that they felt as if they had “closed the gap.” The entire team was motivated by the occasion and plans to “celebrate the Seniors, win or lose.”
The Friars are far from finished this season, hoping to carry this strong performance into the playoffs and all the way to the championship game. The Friars play their first playoff match on Sunday, Nov. 5th at St. Dom’s High School, 2:00 pm.
About The Author:
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Mahon Walsh Mahon is a senior at St. Anthony’s and has written for Scoreboard since freshman year. He is a member of NHS and a board member for Friar Faithful. |
