STEUBENVILLE – Believing in yourself is a big part of the fight.
After 8-4 in the fifth game, the Big Red volleyball team flipped the switch on Catholic Central as Big Red scored 11 of the last 14 points to win the game and the game, 25-20, 23-25, 25-19 , 23-25, 15-11 to close the city championship on Saturday afternoon at the Crimson Center.
“We fought with our energy and our confidence.” Big Red (5-4) head coach Kristin Taylor said.
“If we’re consistent and everyone is communicating and we’re playing aggressively, we can’t be beaten.”
The Crusaders had momentum on their side and seemed on track to win the game and work their way up a split in the season streak, but Big Red managed to turn the tide, regain momentum and overtake the season streak.
“I always say that volleyball for girls is a game of dynamics”, Jenna Ogden, the first year head coach at Catholic Central (7-5), said. “If you lose your momentum, it’s hard to get it back. We lost momentum for a few minutes and couldn’t regain it. I am proud of the girls. We played better against Big Red today than we did the first time. I would have liked to have won our seniors. We just lost our momentum. I am proud of the girls. I am always proud of the girls. “
Catholic Headquarters took the first two points of Game 5 and the Crusaders increased their lead to 6-3, forcing Taylor to take time out.
8-4 behind, Big Red regrouped, scoring five points in a row to take the game’s first lead and force Ogden to take time out. The guests took the next point to equalize, but the hosts scored the next three and did not look back on the way to winning the coveted city championship again.
“It feels good,” Taylor said about winning the city championship. “I’m proud of the girls. You should be proud of yourself. It’s always more exciting when you play against your city rivals. It’s a great way to end the week. That gives us momentum for the next week. “
For Big Red, Tori Mitchell scored 19 points, 22 kills, six blocks and two digs, Maggi Cucarese scored 16 points, eight kills, 36 assists and six digs, and Sarah Allen added 19 points, 10 kills and seven digs. Eventually, Mea Lulla delivered 14 points, 27 receptions and 17 excavations.
For the Crusaders, Clara Symington counted 25 kills, Haley Cherepko collected 13 assists and Jayda Jones landed with 27 digs.
Game 1 was close to start, but Big Red pulled back when the winners took a 17-12 lead, forcing Ogden to take time out. Big Red did what they had to do on the track to win the game and take a 1-0 lead in the game.
Big Red took the lead early in Game 2 when Catholic Central called for a 9-6 break. This time around the Crusaders played better on the track as the girls in blue stepped it up and took a two-point win to win the game and even the game 1-1.
Big Red gained some split in Game 3 when they took a 15-11 lead. The Crusaders called for time out to turn things around, but Big Red increased his advantage and won the game to regain the lead in the game 2-1.
The Crusaders called a 7-3 timeout in Game 4, and their girls responded when they snapped a 13-3 run, forcing Taylor to call a timeout. Catholic Headquarters’ lead grew to 17-10, but Big Red stormed back, scoring 19-19. Big Red has positioned itself to win the game and the game, but Catholic Headquarters did what it took to win again by two points and to level the game once more and set the stage for one in the final moments of the game Prepare fifth and playoff.
“We played very well” said Ogden. “We’re 7-5. We had a winning streak of six games. We are a good team. We’ll keep playing hard. This is not the end of the season. It’s been a long season. We still have a lot of games to win. “
Big Red swept the Crusaders into Mickey Barber High School on August 24, but this time the Crusaders fought quite a battle as Catholic Headquarters had Big Red on the brink towards the end of the game.
“Central had much better coverage in this game.” said Taylor. “You attacked the ball much better. We had a few bouts of misunderstanding with their tips and nudges. It seems like we have more problems with the light ones than with their attacks. You definitely attacked better. “
The Crusaders certainly didn’t live up to their standards in the first game.
“You definitely handled Clara Symington – # 10 – very well.” said Ogden. “It’s definitely our big weapon. You did a good job defensively. We definitely played more as a closed unit today. That almost led us to success, but in the end we couldn’t win the game. “
Big Red will play Carrollton at home on Monday. The Jayvee match starts at 5:30 p.m.
Catholic headquarters are scheduled to be in Wellsville on Monday. The Jayvee match is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.
“That was a combination of our last two games” said Taylor. “As a coach, I want you to come every day believing that you can beat anyone. I think you can. Anyone can hit any day. We just have to have the mindset that we are winning, that we are going to dominate the night and be aggressive. We only need them to believe it anew every day. “
NOTE
• A minute’s silence was observed prior to the start of the game in memory of Edison instructor and head volleyball and head track coach Todd Smith, who died on Friday. Smith also served as the school’s assistant sports director.
“We were sad when we heard the news from Coach Todd Smith.” said Taylor. “One of our players on our team – Sena Smith – he was her uncle. On behalf of the volleyball team and all of the Steubenville City Schools, our thoughts and prayers go to the Edison Nation. Our prayers go out to everyone in Edison. We are deeply sorry to hear from Coach Smith. “
Get the latest news and more in your inbox
Comments are closed.