Girls Volleyball: Mercy Falls in Four Games at Burlingame

Burlingame 3, Mercy 1 (25-9, 25-15, 14-25, 25-19)

The Star: Outside hitter Veronica Smart, who led Mercy High School with 18 kills, keyed a third-game charge with a barrage of kills to help her team finish its non-league defeat on a high note.

The Turning Point: The Crusaders, defending champions of the West Bay Athletic League Foothill Division, fell behind 15-2 in the first game, as Burlingame quickly set the tone for its home victory.

The Quote: "Playing harder teams is better," Mercy middle hitter Mary Alice O'Reilly said after facing a tough Panther squad. "I think we matched up pretty well. We gave them a fight."

What's Next? Mercy plays at San Mateo on Sept. 17 and then heads to a tournament at Westmont the next day.

Bottom Line: In a matchup of defending league champions, Mercy overcame its rough start but found the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division heavyweight Panthers too much to handle.

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First-year Mercy High volleyball coach, Nga Tran, inherited a squad coming off an undefeated season in the West Bay Athletic League's Foothill Division. But she certainly isn't letting the Crusaders rest on their laurels.

After Mercy fell to 1-3 on the year with a four-game defeat at Burlingame on Wednesday night, Tran, who also coaches the boys team at Sacred Heart Cathedral, was quick to say the Crusaders face a steep learning curve.

"Last year's team played at a slower tempo. They're getting a crash course in playing faster," said Tran, who wants her team to be firing on all cylinders by the end of the month. "We're a little bit behind."

Facing a loaded Burlingame squad, Mercy was more than a little behind at the outset of the non-league match. The host Panthers (5-3) roared to a 15-2 lead in the opening game, landing the first blow in a contest they won 25-9, 25-15, 14-25, 25-19.

Mercy star middle hitter Mary Alice O'Reilly said nerves likely contributed to her team's sluggish start against the defending Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division champions.

"I think most of us were kind of anxious, but an excited anxious," said O'Reilly, the 2009 MVP in the WBAL Foothill Division.

The Crusaders played Burlingame virtually even in the second game until Panthers junior Vanessa Neumann got on a great roll from the service line to put the visitors in a 24-12 hole.

Finally, Mercy, which is working to find its offensive rhythm with setters Chelby Spray and Katie Benz in the young season, started to assert itself in the third game. Veronica Smart, a senior outside hitter, ripped off four kills in a six-point span, as the Crusaders built a 15-7 advantage.

"She just ate us up, all of a sudden," Burlingame coach Steve Erle said of Smart, who also clinched the game for Mercy with two late kills.

Mercy battled the Panthers throughout in the entertaining final game, but its bid for a comeback fell short as Burlingame senior Michelle Neumayr showcased the all-around game that illustrates why she has verbally committed to Cal.

Neumayr, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, won four service points to give the hosts an early 8-4 lead, and then made that margin stand up with a series of athletic plays. The reigning PAL Bay MVP dominated at the net – rotating between forceful kills and touch shots into open space to keep Mercy's defenders guessing.

Mercy pulled within 15-12, 18-15 and 21-17 in the final game, but Neumayr, who registered a match-high 30 kills, and the Panthers had an answer to each run.

Smart registered 18 kills to lead Mercy. O'Reilly had nine kills, and Leslie Baumann totaled 11 digs.

Afterwards, the Crusaders, who have also lost to powerhouse Presentation and Carlmont, made sure to look for the silver lining in defeat.

"They're the best public school team I've seen," said Smart, an All-WBAL Foothill first-team selection last year. "I'm happy we lost to a good team, if that makes sense. I think by losing to this team, we now know better what to do in certain situations."

Asked to specify the lessons learned, Smart noted the need to adjust to Neumayr's cross-court hitting and the experience Mercy gained from opposing a tall left-hander in Burlingame middle hitter Leila Torres.

The 6-foot-1 O'Reilly, who is getting Division I recruiting attention of her own, was pleased the Crusaders showed resilience when facing a difficult opponent on the road.

"Playing harder teams is better," O'Reilly said. "I think we matched up pretty well. We gave them a fight."