By Stephen Smoot
The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (the Clarksburg high school, not the university!) made their way west on Corridor H, then down US 250 to Tygarts Valley, where they helped to form a trio of teams competing.
Notre Dame brought with them a strong seasonal showing, boasting 13 wins, some over much larger schools, and a single loss to Lewis County. A closer look at their schedule revealed that Pendleton County would face by far and away their toughest test this season.
They opened the game with the serve and took the initial point in the contest after a lengthy series of volleys. Pendleton County scored next when Brynlynn Waggy popped the ball perfectly to set up a Baylee Beachler spike.
Notre Dame took the next two points, showing a different strategy than almost anyone else. In the initial stages of the first set if the ball made it to a player near the net on their side, they popped it back to set up shots from players in the middle of their side of the court.
They thus, at least for awhile, worked to avoid directly challenging the Wildcats’ fearsome front of Beachler, Lizzie Alt, Avery Townsend, Alyssa Bennett, Waggy, and others. If the front line player did attempt to make a play, she tried to angle it away from the teeth of the Pendleton County defense.
Notre Dame’s strength lay in precision and execution. They fielded shots well, worked well to extend each volley and hoped for the Wildcat players to make a mistake, rather than directly challenging them.
Beachler took the serve with her team down 3-2. Quickly, her team seized the lead. Waggy, who has emerged as a precise and reliable setter, set up spikes for both Alt and Townsend, while a screaming line drive serve from Beachler resulted in an ace.
When Notre Dame wrested the serve back, they faced a slender deficit of two points.
They scored an ace to close the tally to 6-5, but then gave up a point and the serve by rocketing a spike out of bounds on the back side.
After the Fighting Irish tied the game at seven, Pendleton County ran off seven points to Notre Dame’s one. They battled to remain within striking distance. The Wildcats opened up a 14-8 lead, but Notre Dame soon closed to within three at 16-13.
Beachler then scored with a spike and took the serve herself. As she challenged the defense, the front line made big plays. A block at the net, a Townsend spike, and an Alt spike off a Waggy set took the lead back out to six at 20-14.
Breena Bowers, who along with Emily Poling, Emma Hartman, Callie Judy, and others manned the backline in an exemplary fashion, closed out the set with an ace, the score 25-19.
Set number two closely resembled its predecessor, except that Notre Dame strayed from its initial strategy and challenged at the net more. The Wildcats scored first when Waggy set up an Alt spike, but then gave up two points to fall behind very briefly.
The Wildcats approached the second set with swagger and a sense of purpose evident in their body language. Notre Dame tried to stay with them and faced only a one point disadvantage when the score was 9-8.
Then the onslaught finally wore the Fighting Irish down and Pendleton County went on an 11 to one run.
That series of points included a Bennett ace. Shortly after, Beachler had the serve. Her first shot over resulted in a Waggy set for a hard Alt spike. Notre Dame, sensing trouble, called time out. After the teams returned to the floor, however, Pendleton County scored consecutively on Waggy setting up Townsend for spikes.
Two plays later, Hartman’s hustle kept the ball alive and helped her team get an 18-9 advantage. Beachler followed that with an ace.
The Fighting Irish are a good team and such squads battle to the end. They scored three straight, but then the Wildcats scored when Townsend dove to pop a ball up, helping Beachler to aim a shot at the back of the opposing defense for a 21-12 lead. They retaliated by rattling off four straight.
Alt helped to close the game out when she took the serve, needing three to win the set and the game. Bowers set up an Alt spike on the way to closing the set and the game in the Wildcats’ favor.
The main difference between these two squads’ ability to handle a tight game situation lay in their experience. Notre Dame feasted on teams that often brought zero wins to the contest against them while Pendleton County seeks out competition offering challenges that turn into learning opportunities. The Wildcats do lose more games as a consequence but prepare better for the post-season as a result.
This is how a team improves. This is how a team achieves. Most importantly, it’s a valuable lesson in life that extends well beyond sports.
