The Saint Ignatius varsity volleyball team took to the road this weekend for three challenging matches.
The Wildcats faced Brecksville-Broadview Heights on Friday and then Mount Vernon and Archbishop Moeller on Saturday.
Three matches later, the Volleyball Cats walked away with wins over the Bees and Jackets, along with a loss to the Crusaders.
The weekend began with a bang in Brecksville. The Wildcats claimed a 3-0 sweep, continuing a strong season against Northeast Ohio competition. Opponents from the area have an 0-9 record against the men of Ohio City.
The Bees fought hard to start the first set, battling to a 5-5 tie. But from there, the Wildcats went to work, tearing off a 12-5 run. David Castele, in large part, authored the attack, with a nice ace, kill, dig, and a couple well-executed passes. With Aidan McCaffrey at the service line at 17-12, the Wildcats notched 5 straight points to take full command and eventually the set, 25-15.
The visitors tore off a 10-5 run to start the second set, aided by a pair of aces by Matthew Rogers. But the Battling Bees did not quit, fighting back to within two, 13-11. Strong front line play, including kills by Phil Catanzaro and Alex Heath and a McCaffrey block helped keep the Bees away from the lead, 19-14. Andrew Boeckman and Matt Stankewicz helped to finish off the Bees, 25-18.
Brecksville-Broadview Heights came the closest to knocking off the Cats in the third set, but 16 Saint Ignatius kills kept the Bees just out of reach. A strong start helped the Cats' cause, with Castele dominating the first few plays to build a 4-0 lead. The lead stretched to 10-2 on the backs of Teddy Koncelik, Joey Enright, and Boeckman. The Bees clawed back into it, however, with six straight points. Kills by Stankewicz, Koncelik, and Castele kept the visitors from snatching the lead. Still, the Bees remained within three points, finally knotting the score at 21 and 22. Kills by McCaffrey and Boeckman prevented a Bees' win and sent the Cats away happy.
Saturday's action began with a punch-for-punch bout with Mount Vernon.
The Cats and Jackets split the first 12 points evenly and then fought to 13-13, 16-16, and 18-18 ties, as the visitors enjoyed a narrow advantage at the net, but the hosts countered every Cats' punch. The Jackets notched 3 straight points to take a 21-18 lead, then fighting to 23-20. But then the Wildcats roared, with Catanzaro and Quinn Flanagan combining for three kills to knot the score at 23-23. A Castele block and then a pair of Jackets errors sealed the Cats' comeback at 26-24.
Mount Vernon snatched an early advantage in the second set at 8-4. The Wildcats responded with four quick points, thanks in part to points won by Catanzaro, Castele, and Rogers. The Cats took a modest 12-10 lead before Mount Vernon tabbed three in a row. The Jackets prevented the Cats from stealing the lead back, though the visitors tied it on a number of occasions. Finally, the Volleyball Cats grabbed the advantage at 19-18, as Castele tabbed back-to-back aces. Clutch play by Koncelik and Flanagan finished off the Jackets with a 25-22 win.
The Wildcats' attention turned to the powerhouse from Cincinnati – Archbishop Moeller.
The Crusaders defeated the Cats at the Centerville Elite 8 earlier this season, leaving the Wildcats hungry for revenge. Unfortunately, the Volleyball Cats did not leave with full stomachs.
Moeller took control of the first set early on, galloping to a 7-3 lead. Strong plays by Castele and Catanzaro narrowed the gap to 11-10 before an Eric Larsen spike and block granted the Cats a 14-13 lead. Moeller showed its experience down the stretch, however, rolling to a 7-2 run to take a 20-16 lead. The Cats fought late, but suffered a 25-20 defeat.
The second set saw the Crusaders' front line take over. Moeller tallied 13 kills to Saint Ignatius' 2, providing the difference in a tough match. "Big Moe" grabbed a 9-3 lead before the Cats clawed to within one, 9-8. The narrow deficit then quickly expanded, thanks to a 6-2 Moeller rally. That rush proved too steep for the Cats to overcome, as the Crusaders earned a 25-18 set win.
Following the weekend, the Wildcats stand at 13-4 on the year. The Volleyball Cats return to action on Monday night at St. Edward. The Cats downed the Eagles, 3-0, at Sullivan Gym earlier this year.
The Wildcats then wrap up the home portion of the regular season with matches vs. Archbishop Hoban on Wednesday (Senior Night) and Walsh Jesuit on Friday in Murphy Gym.