Despite trailing 2-0, the Trinity fan section was loud and rambunctious – waving pom poms and chanting. Hearing the crowd, the Lady Raiders turned to each other and told themselves to stop playing as individuals and to come together. The regrouping had the desired effect, with the team pulling off the reverse sweep to knock off Meade County 3-2 and advancing to the semifinals of the 3rd Region volleyball tournament.
“We depend a lot on our crowd energy,” senior Emily McDaniel said. “Our crowd really stepped it up and we matched their energy.”
In the first set, the Lady Raiders couldn’t get out of their own way, committing error after error. Any time they took a lead, it quickly evaporated. Late in the second set, it seemed Trinity was on the verge of tying the series, leading 20-17. Meade County responded with a 6-0 run to take a 23-20 lead before closing it out.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom in the huddle; instead, the Lady Raiders knew it was time to overcome their nerves and get out of their own way.
“I think we came to the realization that ‘oh shoot we lose and it’s over,'” Kenzie McDowell said. “We came together as a team after that.”
In the third set, Trinity jumped out to an 8-0 lead which they never relinquished. The fourth set was neck and neck, with Trinity narrowly leading 13-12 before they went on a 12-6 run to force a fifth and final set.
“In the fifth set, we told ourselves to bring the energy and come out early,” McDaniel said. “Come out with high intensity and high energy.”
Trinity did exactly that, taking a quick 3-0 lead before Meade County called a timeout. During the stoppage of play, the Lady Raiders’ fan base’s cheers echoed throughout the gym and the surrounding hallways. Meade County couldn’t silence the crowd, falling down the stretch to end their season.
A year ago, Trinity was one of the favorites to win the region tournament, but they were upset in the first round. That defeat and the possibility of facing a second straight early exit weighed on the girls’ minds, leading to nerves overtaking them.
McDowell led the Lady Raiders with 35 assists and four service aces, while Caroline Hall added 42 digs. Addison Mills finished with a team-high 15 kills and seven blocks.
The Lady Raiders will now face tournament favorites Owensboro Catholic in the semifinals.
“We just have to keep a mentality that we aren’t finished yet,” McDaniel said. “We’re coming for them and were not done. If we come out with energy and play together we can beat anyone.”
Lady Aces’ open tourney with a statement
Hearing chants of “overrated” being barked at her from the Ohio County student section, Owensboro Catholic’s Olivia Castlen smiled to herself and unleashed missile after missile – her shot always finding its target.
Fueled by the chirps, Castlen finished with a career-high 31 kills to fuel her team to a 3-1 (25-10, 21-25, 25-5, 25-16) win and a trip to the region tournament semifinals against Trinity.
“They think those chants are going to tear me down, but it honestly just fuels the fire in me,” Castlen said. “That’s honestly why I had 31 kills tonight. The stats show. If you are going to say overrated, say I’m overrated. I don’t care. I just know I am going to play my ball every single game.”
The Lady Aces jumped out to an early lead in the first set and never relinquished it, dominating Ohio County’s defense at every opportunity. As had been the case all season long, Owensboro Catholic entered the second set flat and couldn’t rediscover their form.
“Imagine that. I think we’ve won five second sets all year,” Owensboro Catholic head coach Brian Hardison said. “But we do it to ourselves.”
Chants for the Lady Eagles echoed throughout the gym, but it had the undesired effect – instead waking up the Lady Aces. Both the third and fourth sets were tied early, but Owensboro Catholic found their footing first – silencing the opposing heckles and running away with the match.
In addition to her 31 kills, Castlen added 10 digs, five blocks, and three service aces, while Mayme Powell recorded a team-high 30 assists, with five digs, and one service ace. Tyranda Stuart finished with 30 digs, seven kills, two blocks, and one service ace.
Thrilled to get the first win out of the way, the Lady Aces know the job isn’t finished.
“It’s a good feeling to get out of the first round of region,” Castlen said. “But now we need to make it through the rest.”
