Once can be chalked up to a good night. Twice is a pattern.
Beating St. Henry in volleyball is never an easy task. The sixth-ranked Crusaders have been a consistent powerhouse in the region, and as is the case in any sport, a team can have a good night while its opponent has an off one.
But after knocking off St. Henry in the 9th Region All “A” Classic in Fort Mitchell on Aug. 27, No. 5 Beechwood proved Thursday night that the first meeting was more than just a good night.
The Tigers took down the Crusaders for the second time this season, winning 3-1 (25-14, 25-18, 26-28, 25-21) in another test between two of the region’s top volleyball squads.
“It’s even harder of a match because beating a team two or three times is super hard,” Beechwood head coach Matt Long said. “We have a list of teams we haven’t beaten before and between last year and this year St. Henry has been a team that we checked off. Our ideas are now, it’s not can we beat St. Henry, it’s when we beat St. Henry. We just have a positive attitude going into these games.”
Thursday night showed just how difficult it is to beat a team twice in the same season, especially one as talented St. Henry.
The Crusaders pushed Beechwood throughout the night, but the Tigers had an answer each time St. Henry began to gain momentum.
That composure has become a defining trait for a Beechwood team that entered the night 21-2.
The Tigers have seven seniors on the roster, and while experience is not the only reason for their success, the familiarity and chemistry that comes with playing together for years has been difficult to overlook.
Bellarmine commit and senior Isabel O’Brien recently celebrated breaking the Beechwood record for career kills and aces, a milestone she reached while the team was at the All “A” State Tournament.
But O’Brien was quick to point away from herself when discussing what has made this team successful.
“I just really think about how lucky I am to be in this culture,” O’Brien said. “A lot of people aren’t lucky enough to say they have something that I do, and it’s my teammates who push me and make me better. I don’t care about the stats. We have goals, and if we win, we win. That’s all that matters.”
That culture wasn’t needed quite as much early Thursday.
Beechwood jumped out to a 12-1 lead in the opening set and went on to win 25-14. The second set was closer, but the Tigers still maintained control, taking it 25-18.
Then came the adversity.
St. Henry hadn’t led all night until a Violet Main kill gave the Crusaders the first point of the third set. From there, St. Henry continued to battle, eventually taking the set 28-26 and forcing Beechwood to respond.
The Crusaders had already shown their ability to fight back from a deficit earlier this season, coming back from a 2-0 hole against Notre Dame. On Thursday, they again refused to let the match end quietly.
“I added a different player on the outside, and she made a difference out there with blocking and hitting,” St. Henry head coach Maureen Kaiser said.
The Tigers found themselves tied with St. Henry at 16 in the fourth set, but Beechwood didn’t allow the momentum to completely shift.
“They’re talented,” Kaiser said. “They have seven seniors, I have two. I think experience plays a role.”
It showed when the match was on the line.
Beechwood closed the fourth set on a 9-5 run, with O’Brien delivering four kills during the stretch to help the Tigers finish off their second win over St. Henry this season.
Beechwood is now 22-2 heading into the Jefferson County Invitational Tournament.
“It’s amazing for us,” senior Skylr Estep, who recently surpassed 3,000 career assists, said. “Our two losses have been to really good teams. I think all of this shows a lot about our team chemistry and how well we can play together.”
St. Henry (19-7) has Dunbar next on the schedule.
MORE PHOTOS: Provided by Charles Bolton
TIGERS 3, CRUSADERS 1
BEECHWOOD— 25-25-28-25 — 3
ST. HENRY — 14-18-26-21 — 1
Game Stats
Kills: Beechwood 53, St. Henry 45
Aces: Beechwood 3, St. Henry 2
Service Errors: Beechwood 6, St. Henry 6
Records: Beechwood 22-2, St. Henry 19-7
