The following article is reprinted from the Norfolk Daily News as written by Paul Hughes.
Knights finish season at 13-16; Mustangs, Patriots set to battle
Norfolk Catholic gave Stanton a second-set scare, but the top-ranked Mustangs ultimately swept the upstart Knights 25-15, 25-23, 25-21 in the semifinals of the C2-6 subdistrict at Wisner-Pilger High School.
The Mustangs will meet Clarkson/Leigh in Tuesday night's final. In their match, the Patriots dropped the first two sets and faced a match point in the third before upending Battle Creek 24-26, 14-25, 28-26, 25-18, 15-7.
Norfolk Catholic earlier earned the right to take on Stanton by defeating Madison in the evening's first match, 25-8, 25-11, 25-11.
In the night's finale, Stanton scored the first three points and led 11-9 before reeling off 10 straight points that included two Liz Christensen kills, four Norfolk Catholic attack errors and a pair of Bree Burtwistle service aces.
The second set was a different story. Norfolk Catholic came out swinging. Mary Fennessy served and sparked a five point run that was highlighted by an Abby Miller Block, a Carly Marshall kill and Fennessy ace to put the Knights up 11-5.
Another Miller kill, an Anna Neuhalfen service ace and a pair of Stanton attack errors made the score 15-6.
But in winning 26 of their first 27 matches, the Mustangs proved they were more than capable of catching fire and overcoming deficits. A seven-point run that included two Burtwistle kills and Jaiden Hartl service cut the Norfolk Catholic lead to 16-14.
A pair of Hayden Wolf kills and trio of Stanton errors extended the Knights' advantage to 22-17 and had Norfolk Catholic within three points of tying the match. But the resilient Mustangs scored eight of the next nine points, including three more Burtwistle kills, to take the set 25-23.
"We kept fighting," Stanton coach Tracy Kuester said. "We worked our way back into it, tied it up and pushed and finished the game. They didn't focus on the score, they focused on what we can control and they started controlling that."
The Mustangs jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the third set, but Norfolk Catholic would not go away. Stanton led 17-11 when the Knights went on a 4-0 run fueled by a Neuhalfen kill and Fennessy block.
But the Mustangs responded with a four-spot of their own with an Elle Locke kill and two Reba Waskowiak service aces to make it 21-15.
The Mustangs led 24-19 when the Knights fended off two match points. Wolf and Miller combined for a block to make the score 24-21, but another Burtwistle kill ended the match.
The Knights closed the curtain on the 2018 campaign with a recorded of 13-16. Four of the late season wins came against teams they'd lost to earlier in the year (Wayne, Pierce, O'Neill and Lutheran High Northeast) and seven of the last eight victories came against teams with winning records.
"The beginning of the season was pretty rough," Norfolk Catholic Coach Michaela Barry said. "But at the end they really were resilient and found a way to win some big games. They ended up making a lot progress throughout the year and I'm proud of them."
All eight of the Knights who saw the majority of the playing time will return in 2019, but Barry had special praise for her two seniors: Cara Leader and Emma Neuhalfen.
"They didn't get a lot playing time on the court, but they were great leaders and teammates in practice and off the court," she said.
Tuesday's final will mark the third time this year East Husker rivals Stanton and Clarkson/Leigh will square off. The Mustangs have swept the Patriots both times.
"How we've looked at it this whole season is that we're the team that has the x on our back," Kuester said. "We're the team that other teams want to beat and we just have to know that and have to come and compete every single game, every single point."
The following article was printed in the Norfolk Daily News and written by Paul Hughes:
Trojans sweep Norfolk Catholic; five sets needed in third-, fifth-place matches
The clock struck midnight for Norfolk Catholic's Cinderella week as Hartington Cedar Catholic swept the Knights in the championship match of the Mid-State Conference volleyball tournament here 25-15, 25-21, 25-14.
Norfolk Catholic had defeated Pierce and Wayne earlier in the week to advance to the title match despite a 12-14 record.
The large, boisterous crowd was into the match early as both teams committed multiple errors while trying to calm their nerves for the long haul.
With the score even at 6, Cedar Catholic went on a 4-0 run, the result of three Norfolk Catholic errors and a floor-denting kill by Maddie Wieseler.
The Trojans steadily added to their lead and closed out the first set with a pair of Abby Hochstein kills.
Cedar coach Denae Buss was pleased with her team's cohesiveness and intensity. "I though we played together and aggressive. I didn't think we tipped too much, hitting a little bit more," she said.
The second set proved to be the most competitive of the three. The Knights led early but couldn't get out of their own way, committing a combined 13 service and attack errors.
Norfolk Catholic coach Michaela Barry said she felt her team played timidly at times. "We kind of let how good Hartington was intimidate us and how we played our game," she said. "Credit Cedar Catholic - they're a phenomenal team, but I don't think we played our game and how aggressive we wanted to."
Norfolk Catholic jumped out to a 6-2 led in the second set, but the Trojans soon pulled even as junior middle Kenlee Goeden strung together two kills and a block and Jada Cattau followed with a service ace to tie it up.
The Trojans took the lead for good at 9-8 and steadily built on that margin until late in the set when Norfolk Catholic pulled to within 23-21 following a Mary Fennessy kill and two Cedar attack errors.
But a Norfolk Catholic hitting violation gave the Trojans a set point and Cattau took advantage with a kill.
The third set was all Trojans as they jumped out to a 7-1 lead and rode that momentum the entire way. Cattau's kill on a Norfolk Catholic overpass brought the tournament to an end.
"Hartington is a very good volleyball team. I mean they're fun to watch," Barry said. "They play well together, they click together, but I'm proud of our girls for where they've gotten."
Buss was asked to compare the Norfolk Catholic team her squad had defeated earlier in the season and the one that played for the conference title.
"They're night and day," she said. "Coach Barry has really gotten them going; they believe they can do it and they're pretty tough."
Both teams now turn their attention to subdistrict tournaments that start Monday. Norfolk Catholic has drawn 6-21 Madison in a 4:30 opening round match of C2-6 at Wisner-Pilger. The winner will then turn around to take on 26-1 Stanton in the semifinals at 7:30.
Barry said her team will focus these next few days on recovering.
"Three volleyball games this last week, it's been a lot for the girls," she said.
"Just focusing on recovering and getting ready to play some of our best volleyball hopefully and at this point you've got to give it all you've got because if you don't, you're done."
Meanwhile, Cedar Catholic is the top seed of the C2-7 subdistrict at Wayne. The Trojans will square off with either 12-19 Homer or 9-19 Winnebago in the semifinals on Monday at 7.
Buss said playing a team like Norfolk Catholic will help her team prepare for postseason play. "They've been playing so well that you have to mentally prepare; you can't just take a night off. It really helps when you play a good team," she said.
Earlier in the evening, O'Neill earned fifth place with a 25-22, 15-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-11 victory over Pierce and Wayne garnered third by defeating Battle Creek 25-20, 25-23, 20-25, 18-25, 15-13.
The following article appeared in the Norfolk Daily News and was written by Paul Hughes:
Norfolk Catholic upsets top-seeded Wayne; Hartington CC awaits after sweep over BC
After going 7-22 last year and dropping their first seven matches this year, few predicted that the Norfolk Catholic Knights would play for a conference tournament championship later in the year.
But that's exactly what the Knights will do Thursday night following Tuesday's 29-31, 25-22, 25-27, 25-23 victory over Wayne in the semifinals of the Mid-State Conference Tournament here.
The first set was not for the faint of heart as the frame saw 12 ties and five lead changes.
Wayne took an early 8-4 lead after scoring five straight points in a string that included three Ashton Boyer kills-she had six for the set.
Wayne led 19-15 when Norfolk Catholic began a five-point rally that started with a pair of Bud Devil attack errors. An Anna Neuhalfen service ace followed by a solo block and kill put the Knights in front by one.
The teams traded points after that. As the set extended beyond the customary 25-point standard, Wayne fought off four match points and Norfolk Catholic two.
Following a Knight attack error, Wayne led 30-29 when Frankie Klausen's kill ended the set and gave the Blue Devils the 1-0 advantage.
"That whole first game was a battle," Wayne coach Traci Krusemark said. "We knew this was going to be a tough game because Norfolk Catholic is just playing well the last few weeks obviously. They're a way different team than when we played them early in the year."
Could the Knights regroup after the emotional first set loss? Coach Michaela Barry had no doubt.
"Our girls just kept battling back, they kept believing in each other. We talked about never giving up and not letting the balls die without a body going for it," she said.
Abby Miller paced the Knights in the second set with six kills and a block. Wayne's Boyer tied it at 21 with a kill, but Norfolk Catholic's Mary Fennessy answered with a block and a kill. That was followed with a Blue Devil attack error to make it 24-21.
A Knights service error cut the lead to two, but Fennessy finished it off with a kill to tie the match.
"After that set, they saw that they can play with them and that they should have won that first set, probably, in their eyes," Barry said. "So they had a little fire in 'em those last three sets."
Norfolk Catholic rode the momentum it gained in the second set into the third. The Knights opened with a 15-7 lead and never looked back. Hayden Wolf's kill on set point gave Norfolk Catholic a 2-1 lead in the match.
The Knights led 22-14 in the fourth set when Lauren Pick delivered three straight kills for Wayne to make it interesting. An Emily Armstrong service ace made the score 22-19.
But two Wayne errors provided Norfolk Catholic with a match point and Miller sealed the victory with a kill.
"We just gave them way too many long runs and they started gaining momentum and that's what the game of volleyball is all about," a disappointed Krusemark said.
In the other semifinal Hartington Cedar Catholic erased a 20-11 deficit in the first set on the way to a 25-23, 25-13, 25-15 victory over Battle Creek.
Wayne returns to Pierce on Thursday at 6 p.m. to take on Battle Creek for third place. Krusemark said her Blue Devils will be ready. "We just have to bring energy. Energy eliminates errors and makes the game go a lot smoother and we just turn it off and on and we have to make sure it's turned on," she said.
Norfolk Catholic and Hartington Cedar Catholic will then tangle for the conference tournament championship at 7:30.
The Knights' victory over Wayne marked the third time this season they've avenged an earlier defeat. They'll get another chance Thursday against Cedar. The Trojans defeated Norfolk Catholic in straight sets on Sept. 11.
Barry called the season a process.
"You're climbing up the mountain and you have to be willing to fight every step of that way," she said.
The following article was printed in the Norfolk Daily News and written by Paul Hughes:
No. 8 Norfolk catholic continued to accelerate down the home-stretch of the 2018 season with a convincing straight-sets victory Monday over No. 7 Pierce 25-23, 25-23, 28-18 in the quarter-finals of the Mid-State Conference tournament here.
The contest was what one would expect from a four versus five seed matchup with long rallies, neither team giving an inch and both teams playing well enough to win.
The Knights opened the year with seven straight losses including two to Pierce. Since then, they're 11-7 with victories over Lutheran High Northeast, Battle Creek, O'Neill and now Pierce.
"The girls are more comfortable in what we're trying to do," Norfolk Catholic coach Michaela Barry said. "They come to practice and work hard and I think just getting more ball touches has really helped them."
The first two sets were roller-coaster affairs as one team would secure the momentum and just as quickly surrender it.
Pierce used its serve to keep Norfolk Catholic out of system and generated offense from Knight free balls.
"That's something we've been talking about throughout the course of the season," Barry said. "If we don't get that ball, we've got to move on and get the next one. It's always got to be next-ball mentality and 'What I can do to batter that ball?'"
With the Lady Jays leading 15-12, the Knights' Anna Neuhalfen recorded three straight kills: the first from the back row, the second off the block and the third via a tip.
Pierce's Maggie Brahmer answered with a kill and service ace to give the Lady Jays a lead that eventually stretched to 20-15.
After a Katrina Meier kill, Pierce led 23-20, but Norfolk Catholic scored the next five points that included a Carly Marshall kill and service ace and a solo block and kill from Mary Fennessy.
"Mary Fennessy is awesome," a proud Barry said. "She's come a long way with her hitting and timing."
Pierce led the second set 21-19 when the Knights' Hayden Wolf scored three of the next four points with kills to give Norfolk Catholic a 23-21 lead.
Pierce's Rhayna Waldner faked setting the ball and found an open spot in the Knight defense to make it 23-22, but a Pierce attach error gave Norfolk Catholic a set point.
The Lady Jays responded with a Waldner kill from the back row, but Fennessy's kill off the block gave Norfolk Catholic the second set victory.
"You have to hand it to Norfolk Catholic, they came out ready to play," Pierce coach Brittany Weber said. "Their offense was too much for our defense to handle."
Barry praised her squad's crunch-time resiliency. "They could've easily just thrown in the towel and at the beginning of the year; they probably would have," she said. "But they've overcome that and have shown real toughness."
Norfolk Catholic led the third set 14-13 when the Knights went on a 7-0 run that included a pair of Abby Miller blocks, two Miller kills and a Neuhalfen service ace.
Brahmer gave Pierce hope with a kill and service ace as the Lady Jays scored the next four points to make the score 21-17.
But after Norfolk Catholic called timeout, the Knights scored four of the next five points and ended the evening with a Neuhalfen kill.
"Offensively, we got into a tip game with them," Weber said. "That is not our offense. Our offense is to hit the ball, so when we started tipping we were constantly the team on defense."
Norfolk Catholic moves into the Tuesday night's 6 p.m. semi-final at Pierce against top-seeded Wayne. The Lady Jays battle West Point Guardian Angels Central Catholic in a consolation semifinal matchup at Norfolk Catholic, also at 6 p.m.
"We talked to the girls about sticking together," Weber said. "If everybody fixes their own mistakes, as a team we'll come together and have a new team tomorrow."
Cara made the school newspaper for volleyball on the "Tracking the Knights" page.
Cara is on the school newspaper staff again this year. She wrote this article for the newspaper about County Government Day that the senior class attended. Cara found the day to be interesting. It was an eye opening experience for her to tour the County Jail and the Juvenile Detention Center.
With the election tomorrow, Cara will be voting for the first time. Since turning 18 in August, she registered online to vote. Cara's government class was asked to help volunteer at the school's polling place if they were 18 years old. Cara will be one of those volunteers during her free period.
Take Care,
Michelle
