Irish outlast Mustangs
Jenna Main is one step closer to her dream after the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Saint Michael Mustangs 17-25, 25-23, 25-18, 23-25, 15-13 Thursday to capture the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association senior girls volleyball AAA championship.
The 17-year-old, Grade 12 student had the goal of playing at Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championships this season and is now within grasp of her objective.
“That’s my dream. As soon as I stared the season this first thing I said was, ‘I want to go to OFSAA,’ ” she said. “That’s my goal right now. Get us through SOSSA and then hopefully to OFSAA.”
Main, who plays at the club level for the Niagara Rapids, was front and centre for the Irish as they held off a strong Mustangs squad to improve their record to a perfect 8-0.
“I’ve played volleyball at the school for the last three years and that was probably the most exciting and exhausting game I’ve ever played in my life,” she said.
Main said she kept herself motivated during the dramatic marathon by keeping her goal in mind.
“The best thing to do is just think about how badly I want this, the more I have it in my mind how badly I want this, how badly I want to go to SOSSA (Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association) and how much I love this team, it kind of keeps you pushing,” she said. “Knowing how much the other girls want it makes you push even harder on yourself.”
Main said it was also key to not get flustered — the Irish lost the opening set and had the Mustangs on the ropes in the fourth set before they rallied.
“Staying positive throughout the whole game (was important),” she said. “Making sure your teammates are staying positive, not just yourself.”
Irish coach Jonathan LePera coached the junior squad at Notre Dame last year with current Mustangs assistant coach Brady Mills while head coach Eric Germano is a former player of his.
“You talk about a great team, if it couldn’t have been us, I would have been happy if it was them,” LePera said. “They got better as the game went on. We went to the depths of talent we didn’t know we had. Anytime you go that deep into a volleyball game — they were exhausted.
“I’m really proud of my girls. They dug deep and stayed positive. It’s an awesome day and we’re excited for next week.”
LePera said he was impressed with his players who kept their cool under pressure.
“That was all what our time outs were about. This is why we practice and this is why we put in the hours. Don’t put pressure on yourself, don’t be afraid to make a tough play and believe in your abilities,” he said. “I had every faith we were going to pull through but against a team like that, it really tested our resolve. It was the best test we could possibly have at this point in the season.”
Germano loved the compete level of his team.
“Im not disappointed losing in the fifth set given how well we played,” he said. “We gave them everything we had and that team is talented and disciplined enough to hold us off. Honestly, with the girls we have, it’s a real testament to how much they fought this year. They practised very hard and very often and were very dedicated to a long season.
“We knew going into the season Notre Dame would be the team to beat and they proved it. Everything was building on all the skills needed to play in a game like that.”
The Irish advance to the SOSSA AAA finals at Eden next Friday.
Members of the winning team are: Main, Kayla Brereton, Briar Collins, Kyra DiGaetano, Aurora Grenier, Brooke Gunther, Zoe Labenski, Ryleigh Lamb, Cassie Orr, Leah Orr, Kaleigh Scholman, Avah Thompson and Livinidy Thompson.
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