C1D4: St. Vincent sweeps Oak Ridge to claim three-peat

The St. Vincent volleyball team celebrates winning the Class 1 District 1 championship against Oak Ridge on Saturday, Oct. 21, in Brentwood, Missouri.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

While the St. Vincent Indians took care of the Oak Ridge Blue Jays in three sets, the match itself was closer than the scoreboard shows.

After defeating the Blue Jays 25-20 and 25-17 in the first two sets, the Indians rolled to start set three before the Blue Jays stormed back late in set three to push the Indians on their heels.

“They were getting to the end of their rope and they tied the knot and hung on,” Indians coach Darren Verseman said. “They never went away all day. That Oak Ridge team really played at a high level all day.”

As the Blue Jays were rallying in the third set, Verseman said he contemplated changing formations to give Oak Ridge a different look.

“I called the timeout but then I chickened out,” Verseman joked. “Once they kept rallying I was like, ‘Yeah, we’re doing it.’”

St. Vincent hung on to win set three and the match, 29-27.

Verseman said he thought his team looked a lot better today compared to their opening match in C1D4 against St. Paul Lutheran.

“I think our serve receive was night and day better than it was the other night,” Verseman said. “That helps a lot because it gives our setters the opportunity to put the ball on target to our hitters.”

Saturday’s win over Oak Ridge marked the third-straight C1D4 title for the Indians.

“I was a little anxious this morning when I got to the parking lot,” Verseman said. “I just thought ‘Well, it has to be a good thing, right?’ I just knew I wasn’t overconfident that’s for sure.”

Indians’ senior Emersyn Pitts said the feeling of winning a district tile will never get old.

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Pitts said. “I think every year we get even more excited.”

Coming into Saturday’s contest the idea that it could be the last for Pitts and her fellow seniors was motivation in itself.

“I feel like that pushes us even harder,” Pitts said. “Like, if there’s a ball you go even if you don’t think you can get it.”

With the win, St. Vincent (14-13-3) advances to the Class 1 State tournament where they will take on the winner of Class 1 District 3.

“We have to keep doing what we’re doing on defense,” Pitts said. “We have to keep the motivation to go for every single ball.”