On Tuesday, October 18, the varsity volleyball team beat St. Ignatius 3 games to 1 in an intense and satisfying match. As both teams warmed-up for their big game, volleyballs were flying everywhere, excited chatter filled the gym, the smell of sweat seeped in the air, the booming bass felt in everyone’s bodies. At 7:10, the Irish took the first serve.
Sacred Heart Cathedral and St. Ignatius started out evenly strong. However, hits by #18 Stephanie Lee ’12, #9 Daniela Crismani ‘12, #16 Sara Jones ‘13, and #21 Courtney Wong ‘13 as well as blocks by #22 Danielle Westerman ’12, #13 Madison Murtagh ‘15, Wong, and Crismani rallied the Irish to a 12-18 lead when SI called timeout. The Irish didn’t stop there as the cheering section encouraged them by chanting, “Here we go, Irish, here we go!” Blocks and hits from all of the Irish players contributed to the score of 25-12, leaving the Wildcats way behind.
At the start of the second game, the Irish crowd began to cheer loudly as their team was up 1-0. Big Green led the cheering section to some more classic cheers as the players took their places on the court. The start of the game started out shaky as the Irish fell behind 0-6. However a hits from Murtagh and Wong, as well as an ace by #10 Michelle Hines ’12 brought them back up to a score 5-7. The second game continued on as both teams became equally matched with a tied score of 18-18. Both sides of the gym were cheering for their respective teams. After a somewhat offensive chant from the St. Ignatius section, the Sacred Heart Cathedral section chanted back, “We’ll see Friday, we’ll see!” It was a clear indication of the Bruce Mahoney Football game this Friday. The Irish came close, but the Wildcats took the second game with a score of 20-25.
By now, our players’ faces hung a little lower as the SI cheering section started their usual chants. The Fightin’ Irish came out well in the third game. Saint Ignatius’ biggest lead was a small four-point advantage. Both teams were neck and neck until the final five points when Murtagh had back-to-back hits, giving the Irish a 25-21 win. By this point, the Sacred Heart Cathedral fans were cheering loudly as they were beating SI 2-1.
The fourth game began with the Irish scoring four unanswered points against the Wildcats. After that, the scores remained close, as SI would always find a way to get back into the game. The SHC team remained strong not only physically but mentally as well. “They brought the energy and when they started getting a little stressed, they just let it go and were able to turn it around,” said Coach Margi Beima. That ultimately described not only the fourth game, but the entire match as well. The Fightin’ Irish had numerous hits and blocks from everyone on the team, whether it be a senior or a freshman. When that final ball hit the ground with a score of 25-23, the cheering section erupted with exuberant screams as the volleyball team rushed into a huge huddle with each other, celebrating a 3-1 victory over Saint Ignatius.
“This is the moment I’ve been waiting for,” commented Lee. “We’ve been working so hard to beat them.” The Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep Alma Mater was heard throughout the gym as the students and players joined each other with their hands in the air. “It’s amazing because you never know who’s going to win!” exclaimed Theresa Westerman, mother of #22 Danielle. “It’s going to be a really good night tonight!”
