The Highland volleyball team opened the Fall 2021 season the same way the ended the abbreviated Fall 2 season in April.

By winning.

This time, the Huskies weren’t alone as the Atkins Gymnasium was loud and full to watch the Huskies dispatch the James I. O’Neill Raiders, 3-0, last Wednesday.

“It actually feels really nice to have a crowd support us again,” senior Gabriela Keeffe said. “It makes us feel more alive when the crowd is here.”

The Huskies won the match, 25-7, 25-17, 25-17, opening their season without their senior setter Olivia Bell, who injured herself the previous day in practice.

“It was pretty traumatic for the girls to lose your captain,” Highland coach Colleen Giametta said. “I’m just so proud of them for stepping up and overcoming that adversity. Marissa (Incorvaia), stepped in and was able to fill those shoes, and my hitters were able to make the adjustments that they needed because they weren’t the perfect sets that they’re used to getting from Olivia.”

But it didn’t matter, as the Huskies got off to a fast start, winning the first set in dominating fashion, especially after Keeffe’s long service run.

She went to the back line with the set tied at 4-4. By the time the serve went back to the Raiders, the Huskies had an 18-5 lead.

“I think that took the nerves down because they were very nervous, and a lot of them told me that when they got here, they were really nervous,” Giametta said. “They were asking, ‘We don’t have Olivia, what are we going to do?’”

What they did was sweep the Raiders, even if things got a little shaky in the second and third sets.

The Raiders had some early 1-point leads in the second set, but Jessica Gentile broke the tie by forcing an O’Neill hitting error with her serve. She also had two aces in a stretch that gave the Huskies a 5-point lead.
The Raiders never pulled closer than four points in a set the Huskies eventually won by eight points to take a 2-0 lead.

The third set started shaping up much the way the first did with the Huskies jumping out to an 11-3 lead.
But they couldn’t put the Raiders away, and eventually they came back to tie the set at 14-14 prompting Giametta to call a time out.

“We got out of our system a little bit,” Giametta said. “And when we got out of our system there was a little communication gap in our offense. They needed to keep that communication and focus on it. Whoever gets the ball, don’t’ worry about the first ball or second ball or what your role is. The main offense is to get the ball over to the other side.”

The Huskies had one block the whole match. That game from Keeffe with the set tied at 15-15.
Her block not only gave the Huskies a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. It also pumped up the Highland crowd even more.

“I think that motivated us a lot,” Keeffe said. Especially with a block like that. I would try to hype up the crowd when I get a kill or block and that hypes everyone up so everyone would feel the adrenaline.”

It also started a long service run for junior Katie Dauenheimer, who recorded five straight aces to help put the match away. She had a chance to end it.

“She got upset because she doesn’t like when people stomp on the bleachers and that’s what she said in the timeout,” Giametta said. “She said it gets her really excited and angry, almost. She kept it in control and really went on a nice run with a lot of aces there.”

Keeffe three kills, five aces and the one block, while Incorvaia had 13 assists and a dig. Jessica Gentile had eight kills and five aces and Daniella Grant had five kills and two aces. Dauenheimer had nine access, a kill and a dig.

“We’re the defending Section 9 champions and we have to come out every game knowing that everybody knows that,” Giametta said. “And they’re going to play us hard and they’re going to play us like we’re champions, and we have to look like a champion. I think they looked like a champion tonight.”

Highland 3, Rondout 0
Keeffe had eight kills and five aces and Grant had two kills and five aces, leading Highland to a 25-12, 25-7, 25-15 win on Thursday.

Meghan Merck had four digs and four aces for the Ganders and Erin Parete had seven digs.

Mount Academy 3, Highland 0
Kaitlyn Arnold had four digs, four kills and 24 assists, leading Mount Academy over Highland.
Keeffe had four kills and Gentile had three kills and two aces. Incorvaia had five assists and two aces.