‘We couldn’t execute’: Struggle to sustain momentum in third set spoils Raiders’ rally in super-sectional loss

PRINCETON, Ill. — The vibes created by a crisp, energetic and efficient practice Thursday afternoon failed to linger as long as anyone associated with the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball program wanted or expected.

“I guess we let it all out yesterday and couldn’t save it for today,” senior middle hitter Abbey Schreacke said.

At least not enough for one final push.

A six-point run in the middle of the first set of Friday’s Class 2A Princeton Super-Sectional gave Genoa-Kingston the upper hand, only to have the Raiders negate it with a 5-1 run in the middle of the second set and force a decisive third set.

That’s when the mojo ran out.

The Cogs went on a 6-2 run to take the lead and cemented their berth in the state tournament by scoring the final six points of the match to earn a 25-19, 22-25, 25-17 victory.

“We didn’t come through when we needed to most in really, really high-pressure situations,” QND coach Courtney Kvitle said. “We just weren’t as crisp as we needed to be.”

Explaining why, especially after beating Macomb in three sets in Wednesday’s electric sectional championship and having a quality practice Thursday, wasn’t easy.

“We were prepared, but we couldn’t execute,” Schreacke said. “When the time got to it, we just couldn’t pull through.”

That simply hasn’t happened much to this group.

The Raiders finished 34-4 this season and are 66-9 over the last two seasons with a pair of heartbreaking endings in the super-sectional. The seniors went 110-14 in their careers, including an 11-3 record during their COVID-19 shortened sophomore season, and this was the fourth time in Kvitle’s five seasons as head coach the Raiders have won at least 32 matches.

“I’m really proud of my team, and we had a great season,” Kvitle said.

It just so happened the No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle happened in the super-sectional, not the state finals.

“They are a really, really good team,” Kvitle said of the Cogs, who were No. 1 in the final Class 2A state poll prior to the postseason. “Super ball control. Well coached. Good outside hitter. Great libero. Good setter. They were solid in every respect.”

Now the Cogs (36-4) will get their first shot at a state title.

Genoa-Kingston will face Chillicothe IVC at noon Friday at Redbird Arena in the Class 2A state semifinals. The Grey Ghosts outlasted Pleasant Plains, the team that knocked QND out last season and finished as the state runner-up, 14-25, 25-14, 25-19 in the Maroa-Forsyth Super-Sectional.

“This was our goal,” Genoa-Kingston junior outside hitter Alayna Pierce said. “It’s really a dream come true.”

QND nearly derailed that dream with its momentum-shifting second set.

The Raiders led 10-8 before going on a 5-1 run that featured three kills from Schreacke and her stuff at the net. The Cogs did trim a five-deficit to 24-22 late in the set before QND finished off victory to force the decisive third set.

“We all had a lot of confidence after we won the second set,” Schreacke said. “Even until the middle of the third set, we still all had confidence. Then all of a sudden they made a run. We couldn’t get out of our hesitation.”

The Raiders’ Lilly Marth opened the third set with an ace, and the teams traded points until the set was tied at 8. Genoa-Kingston junior setter Alivia Keegan gave the Cogs the lead for good when she dumped a quick set into the back corner, kickstarting a 6-2 run in which the Raiders made three errors.

“It’s momentum on both sides,” Kvitle said. “Whoever has it in the end in a huge match like that is going to win.”

QND tried to get it back. Trailing by six, the Raiders scored four consecutive points as junior outside hitter Emma Hoing had a kill and an ace to pull within 19-17. QND didn’t score again as a couple of mistakes at the net couldn’t be overcome.

“Tonight was the night we couldn’t get that last point to drop,” Schreacke said.

No one could see that coming.

“It’s tough, but I’m really proud of this team. We’ve all learned a lot throughout the season,” Schreacke said. “There’s a huge change in who we are that took place from when this season started. We’re a whole different team. We learned to come together, and we all had each other’s back.”