A rough stretch of games a little over a month ago had the Lions looking tamed midway through their season.
Match photos click here.
A rough stretch of games a little over a month ago had the Lions looking tamed midway through their season.
But their 14-year head coach, Tom Ray, knew what it would take for his team to come out of the slump, as they defeated the Blue Streaks 3-0.
In that four-game skid, the Lions lost three five-set matches before being swept by conference rival Lake Catholic.
“I think we are in a great place, going into the playoffs,” said Ray, who was optimistic after their sweep over Beaumont Sept. 29. “We have lost a two-game set to Bishop Hartley in the Norwalk tournament, and Bishop is always a Division Two powerhouse. We lost in three to Lake Catholic at their place, but we still got another chance at Lake at our place in two weeks.
“If you look at the other matches, the losses we have are to very good teams in five sets. Those matches can go either way, and we are looking forward to using the experience gained in those losses to ensure we win the close ones in the playoffs.”
The Lions have picked up back-to-back wins over Walsh Jesuit and Beaumont.
“I would say the overall energy and decision-making on our side of the net between our team is probably the most influential change we have had over the last few weeks,” Ray said. “We have a better understanding of two different defenses and also running a better offense with our two young setters.”
To begin the set, the Lions came out swinging and led the Blue Streaks by six at one point. To close out the first set, the Lions won on a 9-6 run.
Pacing her team was senior outside hitter and Nebraska Cornhusker commit Caroline Jurevicius. She recorded six kills in the first set, displaying why she’s a division one commit. Jurevicius mixed up her shots with a couple roll shots and kills down the line, but she was most beneficial with her sharp cross-court swing.
The Lions went on to win set one, 26-16.
“Our seniors are our culture,” Ray said. “They come in and work hard every day. They are resilient and very adaptable. Many of them have played more than one position, and we pride ourselves at NDCL on coaching and creating volleyball players, not positional players.
“Caroline brings an attitude and confidence that is unmatched. Her teammates thrive around her, and her energy and competitive attitude is contagious. Some of our seniors were on our state runner up team in 2020, so they also bring experience in big games.”
Speaking of experience, Jurevicius would extend her team’s lead to eight by registering three straight aces. Calling for a timeout was Pat Royer, who was doing his best to figure out Jurevicius’ serve. Out of the timeout, a timely kill came from middle blocker Anna Hilbig.
A stingy defense from the Lions would take set two, 25-11. Coach Ray’s team picked up everything the Blue Streaks was giving them. Mix that with a lethal arm from Jurevicius and her middles, Emma Blankenship and Caitlyn Cvitkovic, who combined for eight kills in the set, and it was a recipe for victory.
When asked what areas of the game were working well for their team, Jurevicius and Blankenship explained thoroughly.
“Corners,” said Jurevicius quickly.
“Hitting the shots,” said Blankenship. “Tom was calling off shots for us, and same for serving. Really serving those zones helped us a lot.”
A strong showing in the third set from the Lions, proved to be too much for the Blue Streaks. NDCL would go on to win the set 25-12, and the match 3-0.
“It’s a matter of confidence coming into tonight,” said Jurevicius. “We’ve been practicing and working hard. We just need to make sure that we don’t just talk about what we need to do to fix it. We can’t talk about it, we have to be about it. That’s a big thing we’ve been trying to focus on this year.”
Jurevicius would lead all hitters with 19 kills. She added three digs and recorded three aces, and two blocks at the net. Sophomore and freshman setters Marissa Brock and Grace Daniels dished out 13 and 19 assists, respectively. Senior libero Sophia Morano led the back row with 14 digs.
With the win, the Lions advanced to 10-6 overall and 4-2 in the conference. They travel to Padua on Wednesday, then turn around to host Lake Catholic and Magnificat the following week.
This season, their two losses in the conference came from Padua Franciscan and Lake Catholic, but the Lions can redeem themselves when they square off against the two teams again Oct. 5 and Oct. 11.
“It’s a vendetta at this point,” said Jurevicius. “We have a lot to prove. It’s going to say a lot about our team. We have seven seniors on our team this year. It’s our last shot.”
And while the Lions would very much enjoy hanging up their conference championship at the end of the year, they are actually playing for something bigger.
“We never really worry too much about winning the conference,” Ray said. “We always have our eyes on the final match of the year and winning championships.”
