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DAYTON — The Fenwick High School volleyball team was just trying to pull off two things it had never done before. So you can forgive the Falcons for a rough start to their Girls Greater Cincinnati League match with host Chaminade Julienne on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
You can also crown them GGCL North Champions.
Fenwick battled back from a dismal first game to win 10-25, 26-24, 25-18, 25-18 to not only beat CJ twice in one season for the first time, but to win at least a share of the school’s first GGCL crown since joining the league.
“That’s amazing. To finally put a number up on the wall for the first time since 1982, that’s just fantastic. It’s a good feeling,” senior setter Chelsea Byrge said. She was a key in getting the team to relax and play with more confidence after a shaky start.
Thirteen of CJ’s points in the opening game were the result of Fenwick miscues and mishits. Falcon coach Yoon Ha said he was working on regrouping his team for the long haul during that ugly first game.
“I think what happened was we knew we had beat them once earlier this season, and so when we got down 0-5 we started pressing a little bit,” Ha said. “CJ served well. They played really well. We just pressed a little bit, and that got us in trouble early.
“I told them, ‘Let’s just relax a bit and get our confidence back,’ because the first game was over. We weren’t going to come back with the way CJ was playing that first game.”
Ha said his Falcons regained their swagger a bit after winning a close 26-24 battle in the second game. “Once we won a close one like that, I think we got our confidence back and maybe put them more on the defensive for a change.”
Fenwick then won the next two games by 25-18 margins.
Alyssa Beck led the Falcons (15-3, 4-0 GGCL North) with 12 kills, Kristin Thompson bashed 10 kills, and Chelsea Farrell was next with seven. Beck, Thompson, Jessica Levy, Cayla Quallen and Mallory Jeanmougin combined for seven service aces.
Byrge easily had the majority of the assists for Fenwick.
“I’m proud of my girls. They played really well tonight. And our defense just keeps getting better and better,” CJ assistant coach Jessica Strader said. She was filling in for head coach Dennis Hale, who was ill. “Fenwick just worked really hard to come back from that first game, and you’ve gotta hand it to them. They played a great match.”
CJ falls to 11-4 overall, 2-2 in the GGCL North.
“Our Senior Night isn’t until Thursday, but Chelsea Byrge, Mallory Jeanmougin, Emily Pierce and Maddie Mutlu made this their senior night.
“Senior leadership won this one for us tonight,” Ha said.
A win over Carroll on Thursday will clinch the GGCL title outright for the Falcons.
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