The Saints continued the road game run with a trip to play the Bracken Christian Warriors. Both Saints teams were perfect in two meetings with Bracken in 2021.
Junior Varsity
The Saints JV came into the Bracken Gym looking to snap a three game losing streak. With one of two players back from injury/illness the team returned to a more normal rotation.
Both teams traded points back and forth early in the first set with some out of bounds hits and kills by both teams. Saints sophomore Sydney Roseberry came up to serve in the fourth position and served for a four point run including two straight aces and a serve that looked like an ace which the line judge called in, but the R1 overruled and called out. This resulted in a lead of 9-7.
The Saints got an immediate side out on a rally where freshman Rihana Crowl scored off a hit from the right side, then rotated to serve up an ace!
The point swapping continued with some service errors until sophomore libero Jena Casteneda came in to serve and stretched the lead to 19-13. That lead held through another trading of points with the Saints claiming the first set 25-19.
In between sets and during time outs the R1 showed that there is no excuse to skip leg day as he did calf raises on the ref’s podium.
After swapping sides of the court and feeling like a throwback to 2019, the Saints served first to start the second set. It didn’t take long for the Saints to heat up the other side of the court. After getting a side out to make it 2-2 Casteneda served in second position and took the Saints on an 8 point run making the score 10-2 and forcing the Warriors to take a time out. Not to be outdone by her friend, Sydney Roseberry came up to serve and went on another run to force the Warriors to take their final timeout down by ten points.
The quality serving of Casteneda and Roseberry and the defense of the Saints team sealed the second set victory with a score 25-19 and helped put the team back in the win column.
VARSITY
As the Varsity warmed up the Warriors home crowd grew and got ready to get loud.
The beginning of the first set didn’t go the Saints way with the Warriors jumping out to a 4-8 lead. The Warriors front blockers made their presence known as number 10 and 12 commanded the net and recorded several blocks.
Freshman Caroline Cadenhead hit between two blockers to try to close the score gap, but the Warriors answered with three straight points to stretch the lead to 10-17 as the Saints called a time out.
After the time out the Warriors went on another four point run until Paloma Garcia put an end to it with a back row hit. Nessa Burton scored on the next play with a setter dump to make it 12-20.
The momentum didn’t last as the Saints lost the first set 15-25.
The second set started off with Bracken blazing out six unanswered points and forcing another early Saints timeout. The Saints got a point on a Bracken serve in the net, then showed their hitting prowess with a strong hit by the middle.
Later in the set AJ Beca showed some spectacular DS ability as she dug several hard hits and combined them with solid serves to bring the Saints to within three at 13-16.
Bracken didn’t let up and stretched their lead to 14-20 with solid blocks and some Saints hits that went out. The Saints won a long rally to get a point, but never reduced the Warrior’s lead as they dropped the second set 18-25.
The third set seemed to start in the Saints favor with them getting a point off a ball that hit the low ceiling of Bracken gym twice on the same rally.
The Saints prayers looked to be answered as they took advantage of a Bracken hit that went into the next county, a deflection, a two touch, and a Bracken player in the net to take a 10-6 lead. Would this be another night like the game versus John Paul II?
After a timeout Bracken regrouped and closed the gap and took the lead at 10-11, but the Saints had another player to call in, their potential MVP, the Bracken Gym ceiling! They claimed some more points off Bracken balls bouncing off the roof and hard kills through the Bracken blockers to take a 15-11 lead.
The next 10 minutes looked like someone pressed the Fast Forward button on the game with each team trading scores off of blocks, kills past defenders, out of bounds hits and sneaky tips.
Nessa Burton set Caroline Cadenhead for a strong cross court hit as the Saints held on to a tenuous 22-19 lead. Freshman Sofia Coiginet showed amazing hustle to fly toward the spectator bench and picked up a ball that Gianna McDonald got over the net, only to be hit right back by the Bracken front. Bracken closed the gap with the Saints to 1 at 23-22 and the Saints called their final timeout.
Bracken scored two points off a tip and a kill off the Saints block to get a match point try, but the Saints took two points right back with hits by Burton and Emily Harrison.
Bracken got a side out on a hard hit to the middle of the court, then another quick point off of a mix up at the net. Score: 25-26 Bracken. Bracken called their final time out before their own match point try as their fans punctuated the shift in momentum. After the timeout Bracken got the game winner. Bracken won the third set 25-27.
After the match there were good things being said on the Saint’s side.
MS Coach David Roseberry:
Bracken has assembled a strong Varsity team. I am excited for our Saints Varsity, they have a lot of potential and I know Coach Edie and staff are working hard to bring the best out of the girls!
The Saints are back in action next Tuesday in Austin versus Brentwood Christian and they are hoping the Bracken Gym ceiling is healthy enough to make the trip.