Schuckman: Blue Devils, Raiders achieve desired outcome as Quincy won, breast cancer lost during ‘Volley for a Cure’

QUINCY — The outcome matters. It has to, otherwise the sweat equity put into practice and the commitment to be at your best wouldn’t matter so much.

Still, there are nights where the final score takes on secondary importance, where winners aren’t determined solely by the numbers on a scoreboard but more by the integrity, compassion and grit put on display.

Monday happened to be one of those nights.

For more than a decade now, sometime in the middle of October, the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame volleyball teams square off in the crosstown showdown that is a backdrop to a more important cause — Volley for a Cure.

October is breast cancer awareness month, and proceeds raised through the Volley for a Cure program go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation or local organizations dedicated to helping breast cancer patients, survivors and their families.

Incorporating “Pink Night” into the city rivalry adds another layer to the intensity and fervor.

Yet, it was Kristina Klingele’s words before the match that made the importance of the night hit home.

An assistant principal at QHS who has served the district in a variety of capacities, including as a coach, Klingele is a breast cancer survivor who is on the verge of officially putting her cancer into remission. Before the national anthem and the introduction of the starting lineups at the QHS gym, Klingele took the microphone and addressed a standing-room-only crowd,

She spoke with strength and conviction. Her words were filled with honesty and trust. Her presence further proved no obstacle is too great and every setback can be overcome.

Both teams seized on that moment for inspiration and played with passion.

It’s why the first set was nip-and-tuck, why rallies were extended, why fans erupted in appreciation for the hammers and hustle. It ended with a 25-18, 25-16 victory for Quincy Notre Dame, which improved to 26-3 and will head into the postseason on a mission to reach the Class 2A state tournament.

The usual suspects offensively — senior middle hitter Abbey Schreacke and junior outside hitter Emma Hoing — delivered for the Raiders, combining for 12 kills. Yet, the separation the Raiders eventually created was due to improved serve receive and passing with senior libero Faith Kientzle and junior defensive specialist Delaney Beard playing critical roles.

The Blue Devils’ mix of experience and youth continues to make them scrappy and hungry. Senior libero Carley Owsley and senior hitter Naveah Baker kept QHS (16-17) engaged, while sophomores Ayanna Douglas, Kaley Summers and Ella Greving made plays at the net.

This night needed that.

The desire, the effort and the emotion coming from both sides of the court paired well with a large crowd to make the atmosphere electric. Beyond that, there was an overwhelming sense that people care — about volleyball, about beating cancer, about supporting each other.

These rivalry games aren’t just nights to wear pink or play volleyball. They are community events designed to link anyone with Quincy ties or Quincy roots together in a unified effort to beat back a disease that impacts us all.

When the night was over, the scoreboard said one team won and the other lost. That’s the way it had to be, but it’s not the outcome needing celebrated.

Quincy won on this night, while breast cancer lost.

That’s an outcome that should matter to us all.