There wasn’t a happier bunch of volleyball players anywhere in Kentucky – from Caverna to Paducah to Ashland to Louisville to Covington.
Beechwood forevermore rebounded from last Thursday’s loss to defending state champion Notre Dame by knocking off Dixie Heights on Tuesday in The Den, 3-0 (25-16, 25-11, 15-14).
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Beechwood coach Matt Long said. “What we try to do, especially since we’re so young, is make sure we’re serving hard, serving aggressive, serve in spots. And then after the serve, make sure we’re passing the ball and not getting aced – giving our setter a pass that we can set.”
In each set, the Tigers (2-1) overwhelmed the Colonels.
Starting with the first. Beechwood jumped to an 8-1 lead that became a 13-4 advantage.
At first, Dixie Heights coach Julie Kelly offered a six-word summary of what happened.
“They served us off the court,” Kelly said.
Then, Kelly elaborated.
“Their serve was super-aggressive, and we couldn’t pass (Tuesday),” Kelly said. “I say it all the time – we serve and pass better, we win…They were keeping us out of system; we never really could get into an offensive rhythm ‘cause they were serving so aggressively.”
What also didn’t help Dixie Heights: starting setter Riley Byrne missed the game with shin splints.
And when the Colonels did get the ball to the front line? Beechwood’s trio of Isabel Baaker, Rachel Lewandowski and Isabel O’Brien too often blocked it.
“They got a few good blocks on us, we had a lot of unforced errors, so we made it easy on Beechwood,” Kelly said. “We gave them probably more than half their points off our unforced errors.”
Long said the objective was to serve low and hard.
“We’re trying to keep that ball low and hard and flat – right above the net, so it floats,” Long said. “When the ball floats, it’s kind of like a knuckleball; it makes it really hard to pass, versus a topspin serve.”
O’Brien said what happened Tuesday had its genesis on Monday.
“We had a really awesome practice (Monday),” O’Brien said. “I think we’ve been focusing on … our serving, become really consistent in that.”
Long, meanwhile, said Notre Dame exposed Beechwood’s block.
“It was evident during the game (Tuesday) that we blocked a lot better on the net against (Dixie’s) attacker, Maggie Best; we really slowed her down a lot.”
In the second set, the Tigers took a 10-1 lead. Dixie Heights (4-2) never came closer than 14-6. “The strategy didn’t change,” O’Brien said. “It’s just us communicating very well as a team is what made us function well.”
In the third set, Beechwood jumped ahead 9-2.
The Colonels (4-2) head southwest on Dixie Highway for a 7:30 p.m. Wednesday match at Boone County. The Tigers will travel in the same direction Thursday for a 7 p.m. trip to Lloyd Memorial.