Sacred Heart celebrates
- Updated: October 20, 2014
Historic five-set win over Donoho gives Cardinals area volleyball title
Sacred Heart’s Olivia Simmons (21) sends one of her 20 block attempts over the outstretched hands of Donoho’s Hannah Christian (3) during Monday’s area title match. (Photo courtesy of Kristen Stringer/Krisp Pics Photography)
Class 1A, Area 10
Donoho 3, Jacksonville Christian 0 (25-11, 25-8, 25-13)
Sacred Heart 3, Faith Christian 1 (23-25, 25-8, 25-13, 25-10)
Sacred Heart 3, Donoho 2 (25-22, 25-23, 16-25, 12-25, 15-11)
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
When a team has “heart” in its name, you’d expect it to already have a little more in that department than its opponent. The key is being able to bring it out when the time demands.
The Sacred Heart volleyball team showed a considerable amount of heart Monday night, beating top-ranked rival Donoho in five sets on the Falcons’ floor to win the Class 1A, Area 10 championship.
In addition to that nail-biter final, the Cardinals had to rally from dropping the first set against Faith Christian just to reach the title match.
“That’s been our theme since the beginning, the heart thing,” Cardinals coach Robin Coplin said. “When we got to the (tiebreaker) I said here’s there deal: They want it. We want it. Who wants it worse? Who’s got the most heart?
“I told them this is what championship play is about. You’ve got to be able to do it at this level. This proves to them that they can go all the way if they choose to.”
The latest and most important installment of the Two-Mile Tussle — the schools’ gyms are about two miles apart — was played with all the intensity of a state championship match. There were some in the gym who wouldn’t be surprised if these teams meet for the state crown in a couple weeks.
Sacred Heart won the first two games 25-22 and 25-23 before Donoho rallied 25-16 and 25=12 to force a do-or-die first-to-15 tiebreaker. The Cardinals won that 15-11, using a 9-1 run after trailing 7-4 to seize control.
“They didn’t want to lose, but they unfortunately waited too late to decide that they didn’t want to lose,” Donoho coach Janice Slay said. “You never assume anything and they just assumed that we were going to win. Sacred Heart played really well and we didn’t; that’s just the way it is.
“We had them right where we needed them and we turned loose of it. (We) didn’t capitalize on the things that worked for us. They got tight and we started playing not to lose instead of playing to win and you can’t do that.”
It was the first time the Cardinals have ever beaten Donoho in volleyball. In fact, it’s the first time they have ever taken a set from the Falcons.
Both teams advance to the North Super Regional in Huntsville’s Von Braun Center Friday. Sacred Heart will play Area 16 runner-up Waterloo at 5:30 p.m., while Donoho draws Area 16 champion Shoals Christian at 3 p.m.
“It was definitely rewarding, especially because we did it when it counts,” Cardinals setter Anna Kerper said. “It’s one of those things where you work so hard to get to a certain point and when you fulfill your dream nothing means more.
“When we had to go to that fifth game it was like ‘this is it, we’ve got to give it all we’ve got’ and we did. I think we needed that little boost of confidence to get through the rest of the playoffs. We are really excited.”
Zainab Sanusi had 19 kills for Sacred Heart; Kristen Rothwell and Olivia Simmons had seven each. Simmons had 20 block attempts and Kerper had 30 assists.
For Donoho, Jordan Ray had 22 digs, 18 assists, six kills, one ace and two blocks. Katie Brown had 21 assists and 15 digs. Anna Marie Woodfin had 37 digs. Hannah Christian had 11 kills and six blocks. Kayla Wallace had 11 kills and five aces.
The all-tournament team included Sanusi, Simmons, Kerper and Rothwell from Donoho; Ray, Christian and Wallace of Donoho; Madison Stephens and Nicole Freschette of Faith Christian and JCA’s Josie Howell.
Kristen Rothwell sends a shot back across the net in Sacred Heart’s five-set win over Donoho. (Photo courtesy of Kristen Stringer/Krisp Pics Photography)
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