It started well with this block at the start of the first set. But Newark Catholic’s quality and size eventually became their winning advantage in the Division VI finals. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Collectively, it simply wasn’t St. Henry’s day at the Nutter Center…the Redskins falling to a taller, talented Newark Catholic team in straight sets for the Div. VI title.
Fairborn, OH – Let’s not belabor the point. A smaller, talented St. Henry Redskins volleyball team fell to a bigger, talented Newark Catholic team in Saturday’s Division VI final at the Nutter Center…22-25, 23-25, and 18-25.
Technical Roofing proudly sponsors the Midwest Athletic Conference on Press Pros Magazine.com.
Simply put, it might have seemed like nothing more than that to the huge St. Henry crowd that showed up to watch, and were forced to absorb reality. It’s been said forevery…that a good big team often as not wins against a good, smaller team.
Or, to explain how it happened is as simple as every cliche’ you can name pertaining to losing on the biggest day of the season.
It wasn’t their day.
They just couldn’t get over the hump.
And the Redskins’ Lexi Buschur probably summed it up best in the post-game press conference when she very flatly, and honestly said: “It just sucks to lose.”
And you would think when you start the first set with a well-played 6-1 run that it would be your day.
“We got off to a good start because we were confident and we were playing in system,” said ‘Skins head coach Tricia Rosenbeck.
Forced to come back repeatedly, the Redskins rejoiced in the belief of what was possible.
But it didn’t take long for Newark prohibitive size advantage, the same advantage that disadvantaged New Bremen so obviously on Thursday, to find its foot. Newark came back with a 6-1 run of their own to forge what would become a back-and-forth, see-saw battle that would see ten ties and four lead changes.
St. Henry did everything they could to flank the size advantage, but the reality is that every time they hit the ball at the net a very high proportion of those shots came back in their face and fell to their feet. Newark’s size…was that much of a factor.
“That was part of it,” Rosenbeck admitted aftewards. “But they also served it very aggressively, and that got us out of system. So yes, I’d say their size did make a difference.”
Peoples Bank, in Coldwater, is proud to sponsor MAC sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.
Close, but no cigar. Every hear it before? at 19-19 in the first set the Redskins gave themselves a chance to win. But Newark came back with a 6-3 run of their own to ultimately win, 25-22.
In a moment of reality, it became obvious that that size, what Diana Kramer described on Thursday as averaging 6’1″ against six inches shorter, was not going to go away.
Kylie Bollenbacher led the Redskins with nine kills for the match.
Newark Catholic came back in the second to start with a 6-1 run, and despite how well St. Henry passed and set the ball, in the end there was always a pair of hands eighteen inches above the net to block the shot. The swelled the lead to 12-6, only to see St. Henry come back with a 6-1 run…but Newark came back with a 5-1 run of their own. St. Henry came back, closed to 23-22. But it wasn’t enough as Newark close it out 25-23 in a set in which St. Henry never led.
With their backs to the wall now Rosenbeck would call every timeout she was allowed, trying to reinforce believing in themselves and to emphasize the basics.
But again Newark came out with quick lead in the third set and played with that lead like you would expect from a nine-time state champion. They grew the lead to 18-10, only to see St. Henry make one more stab at extending the match to a fourth set.
But that wasn’t to be. A couple of hitting errors, the ever-present problem with hitting through that block at the net, and the simple fact of frustration and mental fatigue took its course. Newark closed out the set, and the match with a 25-18 win.
“They’re a very talented team and they have a lot of fight,” said Rosenbeck, afterwards. “They wanted it, too. We would come back on them, but they always seemed to find a way to finish.
Frustration for the faithful……
“But there were some times when we were down by five or six points and the girls came together to fight back. And that was these ladies all through the season. Just working together, finding ways o put points together, and always believing that they could. And I think that belief was there all night.”
The disappointment and frustration in the press conference was heavy, befitting the kind of emotion that comes when you know how far you’ve come, and yet were unable to play your best.
“We talked about belief in the timeouts,” she added. “Not giving up. About getting back to the fundamentals. And they came together after every timeout, and I’m proud of them for that.”
But owing to the competitive legacy of St. Henry sports, it was hard to swallow, and especially when such a large contingent of the community showed up in support.
Huffer Chiropractic can help your athlete perform at their best – with offices in Osgood, Jackson Center, and Dublin, Ohio.
“It just sucks,” admitted Lexi Buschur, obviously speaking her heart on behalf of all those people wearing red and white.
“But all we can do is look back at it and prepare to get better for the next season (basketball). We can’t do anything about this anymore, but we have so much to be proud of. We led a team to the state finals. And yes, we fell short. But there’s more opportunity this year to get stuff done.”
Tricia Rosenbeck is as competitive as they come…a former player who wears her competitiveness on her sleeve, as well as her frustration on days when no doubt about it, it just isn’t your day.
“Absolutely it’s frustrating,” she said, doing her best to control the emotions. “Because you guys saw them here today…the community support is unbelievable. I know that they’re proud of us, they’re proud of the team, and these seniors.
“And does losing suck, like Lexi said? Absolutely. Did we fall short of our goal? Absolutely. But none of those people in the stands are going to look any differently at us. We’ve pulled a community together that wants to win and hasn’t enjoyed this kind of success and enthusiasm in a long time. And that’s something to really be proud of.”
And frustrating to coaches, too. Tricia Rosenback feels the inevitable at the end of set three.
And to her point, in St. Henry tonight no one mourns what might have been. To another point that Rosenbeck and Lexi Buschur made, there will be no finger-pointing. No one individual didn’t win the state championship.
“You win as a team,” they said before leaving for home…honestly, and sure of the welcome they’ll receive when they arrive.
There will be pride, and there will be optimism for that next season. The bad cliches’ will be flushed.
The good ones become the new centerpiece. Like it’s always been. There’s still plenty of stuff to accomplish.
The Hughes Law office, in Urbana, is the presenting sponsor for all OHSAA state tournament coverage on Press Pros. Call them today if they can help you…Ph. 937-398-0520