Mater Dei stops Highland in battle of unbeaten volleyball powerhouses
The Mater Dei and Highland girls volleyball teams met Thursday, April 22, in a battle of unbeaten teams before an enthusiastic crowd that had the energy of a state tournament match-up.
Highland had hopes of finishing the truncated and delayed COVID-19 spring campaign undefeated. However, Mater Dei’s Kennedi Barriger, Sally Albers, and Tori Mohesky spoiled those plans.
The trio and their teammates withstood early leads by the Bulldogs and overcame HHS late with power hitting and strong serving as the visiting Knights prevailed 25-21 and 25-22.
Mater Dei finished its shortened season with a perfect 11-0 record. Considering the Knights could not compete in the state tournament due to COVID protocols, finishing unbeaten was a suitable consolation prize.
“It honestly feels great (to finish unbeaten) given the season we’ve had because Highland honestly was our best competition all year by far,” Barriger said. “They were a really tough team to play ... it almost felt like a state tournament game and it was the game we’ve wanted all season.”
Mater Dei coach Chad Rakers was happy to see his team excel in a challenging season with no postseason playoff.
“We did what we could with what we had and didn’t drop a step the entire time,” Rakers said.
The Knights, who had not experienced an unbeaten season in 27 years, got contributions from virtually their entire rotation. Barriger, Mohesky, Riley Kleber, and Albers all collected five or more kills.
Senior Jessie Timmerman and senior libero Audrey Lampe also excelled in the serve-receive area.
Rundown of two-set victory for Matter Dei
Highland jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the opening set behind standout senior Bella LaPorta’s serving. Mater Dei settled down and eventually grabbed a 23-19 advantage thanks to a 4-2 surge. A scoring shot by junior Emily Johnston closed out the opening set.
HHS grabbed a 5-4 lead in the second set, but again, the Knights caught fire late and another strong serving run by Johnston helped key a four-point surge for a 24-18 bulge.
Barriger finished the almost hour-long match-up with a booming kill across the center of the net.
“It’s just all about looking for where the block is and then to beat it,” Barriger said. “I think we have that in on our team, and I think every one of us is talented, so when we get a good set, it’s usually (put) down in the ground. This was the perfect way to finish off our season.”
Bulldogs enjoy tremendous campaign
While finishing just short of an unblemished campaign, the Bulldogs checked most every other box on their list of goals this season. Overall, Highland finished 14-1 and won its fourth-consecutive Mississippi Valley Conference championship.
“We wanted to go out from the beginning and show people what Highland volleyball’s all about and we did that today,” Highland coach Katelyn Hagarty said. “Then we wanted to get through the first round of conference games and we did that ... then we wanted to get through the second round of conference games again and win conference and we did that.
“We were checking every box, and the last box was to beat Mater Dei. We did that two years ago. Mater Dei turned out to be the better team tonight and I’m proud of my girls and how they went out there and they fought.”
Curtain call for Highland seniors
It was also bittersweet for Hagarty to have one final time coaching seniors LaPorta, AnneMarie Beckemeyer (who is going to Kean University to play volleyball), Taylor Kesner, and Liv Wilke as the quartet has left a legacy of success and set the bar high for future classes of Bulldog spikers.
“Coming in with this group and having them for four years and them trusting in the process and me coming when they were freshmen and seeing them grow not only on the court but as people and knowing that they’re going to go on and do amazing things is all you can ask for as a coach,” Hagarty said. “They’re an amazing group and I can’t thank them enough for all their hard work, their dedication, and their leadership. Their respective talents are special and they set the bar high for the juniors and underclassmen.”
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 9:26 AM.