IHA Dominates On Big Stage

IHA's volleyball team easily dispatched of Bishop Ahr, 25-14, 25-8 Tuesday despite being in the spotlight.

"We were a little nervous playing on this stage and it took a bit to get in sync," said head coach Maria Nolan. "Once we did it was quite a run we went on."

With regional television coverage and cameras galore, all eyes were on a team looking to continue their dominance as a bigger audience were given the chance to enjoy their play. So it got a little tense on the Blue Eagles side. 

The nerves were evident as the Blue Eagles seemed to hold back and missed a few early shots. Bishop Ahr led early on, 11-10 and seemed poised to give IHA a run for their money, but it changed quickly.

Running off 15 of the next 18 points, the Blue Eagles began to get back to setting up get kills that began to unnerve their opponent and led to a succession of timeouts in an effort to stop the surge.

Behind the solid service of junior Mandy Garbarino, they created enough breathing room at 16-11 and began to strike the ball with more confidence.

The timeouts just delayed the inevitable as the juggernaut Blue Eagles squad continued their roll into a suffocating 25-8 second game win. The breeze through the last game was a part of a 40-12 run, which left Coach Nolan nearly speechless.

"We felt good and were confident," said Nolan. "It was an amazing run."

Highlighting the dominant last game was the serving brilliance of junior Raquel Scott who began service with a 4-2 lead and didn't relinquish service until the Blue Eagles had ended any doubt with 10 consecutive points.

Another point of dominance was the net play of freshman Nia Reed, who had the final say in several points. By the midpoint of the game her presence seemed to leave the opponent timid and unable to return serve.

The day left IHA Athletic Director Jason Schlereth smiling and praising his great coaching and student-athletes.

"We have the most dedicated coaches in the county," said Schlereth, "and our student-athletes follow the example of our coaches. They are dedicated and willing to put in the time and effort."

The effort has earned them a date with Union Catholic in Thursday's semifinal. With the bright lights and big stage confidence, look for the Blue Eagles to be ready for any and all challenges.

BOX SCORE

RECORDS

Bishop Ahr (16-8-0), IHA (23-1-0)