Squaring off for the first time this season in a non-LIS matchup, St. Anne’s-Belfield’s volleyball team showcased a diverse offense as they dispatched cross-town rival Covenant in a 3-0 win, 25-12, 25-22, 25-12.
“We started out game one a bit slow with some service errors but the girls really rallied and were able to take it,” said Saints coach Stacey Gearhart. “Game two, it’s the game two curse where you rest on your laurels after winning the first game. We got rattled mentally but eeked it out. That’s a nice sign of team being able to win close. Game three, I thought we played really well and we got everyone in. It’s always a great matchup with Covenant. It’s just that rivalry.”
STAB rolled out to a healthy lead in the first set by taking a 16-8 lead and keeping the home team at bay by using its most dangerous weapon in hitter Allie Nicholson and then playing off that to work in its other highly effective attackers in Morgan Thacker and Trent Holden.
“Our play set variety was really strong,” Nicholson said. “We ran a lot of different things that we hadn’t done before so I think as team we were just willing to take more risks, take the serve, run a crazy set or the hard cross-court angel. I think it was the risk mixed with trusting our teammates that worked for us.”
That worked out to a 25-12 win in game one, but the second portion of the match was highly contested as Covenant, a team which while young, matched up front with STAB’s height thanks to Rachel Rapp and Katherine Rendleman.
“In game two I think we just got mentally tougher,” said Covenant coach Mariko Schaper. “I liked what I saw from the team in game two and we’ve to keep doing that — being mentally tough and composed and winning some points after you’ve lost a few, being able to collect, gather and learn from the mistakes and just get in there.”
The Eagles built up a 9-4 lead in game two but saw the Saints equalize at 11 before taking a 2-point advantage at 15-13. Covenant made a push of its own to even the set up at 20 but STAB took a timeout and regained form to finish off the second game by winning five of the next seven points.
The third set was even early, but behind its serve and varied offense STAB built a 9-point lead at 16-7. The Saints continued to roll from that point forward, getting up by as many as 14 points before closing out the match at 25-12.
“I thought (setter) Nikkita Briones did a great job tonight with a lot of fool sets where it looks like she’s going one way and she goes the other,” Gearhart said. “Morgan had a number of kills where there was just no one in her way. Hopefully the offense will just keep clicking like that. We’ve got a great arsenal of hitters.”
For STAB, Nicholson had a game high nine kills and two blocks. Thacker was a force too with six kills and seven aces. Holden chipped in four kills and four blocks. Margaret Giles also had four blocks. Briones was the match’s top setter with 22 assists.
On Covenant’s side, Rapp, Rendleman and Sallie Cathcart each had three kills. Rapp had four blocks. Rendleman worked in four assists and two aces. Cathcart also had two aces and five digs. Connor Adams had seven digs.
Both the Saints and Eagles will play in this weekend’s tournament at Grace Christian but host matches on Friday first.
STAB (4-4) welcomes St. Gertrudes at 5:15 p.m.
Covenant (3-8) plays at home again against Trinity Episcopal at 4 p.m.
