Three-set victory over Sterling in WB6 play continues to show QHS volleyball team’s tenacity

QUINCY — Fearless.

If Quincy High School volleyball coach Kate Brown had to pick one adjective to describe the way her team is playing right now, this is the one she would choose.

“They’ve found that fight and the fuel to the fire,” Brown said.

The Blue Devils scratched and clawed their way to a 26-24, 20-25, 25-19 Western Big 6 Conference victory Thursday over Sterling. With this victory, which followed a three-set victory on the road Tuesday over Geneseo, Brown said the Blue Devils proved they aren’t just talking the talk.

They’re walking the walk.

“Most seasons I’ve been here, it’s been talking about it, like ‘yes, we need to do this,’ ‘why are we not doing that?’ saying ‘next ball’ every time,” Brown said. “We’re walking that now, we’re not just talking it.”

The third set was tied on 10 different occasions before the Blue Devils rattled off the final six points of the match. Ayanna Douglas’ ace got Quincy to set point, then Kaley Summers’ final swing finished off the Golden Warriors.

“That was so fun,” Summers said. “It was just a mix of relief and excitement. We’re showing that we’re getting better and we’re winning the games we need to be winning.”

The Blue Devils have made a habit of winning three-set matches lately. Three of their last four victories have come in a deciding third set.

“We love going three,” Douglas said with a hint of sarcasm. “But it shows the resilience we have as a team.”

Brown could have done without the stress of a third set, but it all worked out.

“Not going to lie, I was a little like, ‘Let’s go and finish this game’ in that second set, but it works,” Brown said. “We got it.”

The Golden Warriors put the Blue Devils’ resilience to the test in the first set, as well. Quincy trailed 11-6 before scoring the next three points. They took their first lead since the set was 1-0 when Edie Campbell and Alyssa Farlow combined for a block to give the Blue Devils a 17-16 advantage. Campbell notched another block on the next point, as well.

The Golden Warriors led 22-21 and 23-22, but a blistering kill by Douglas knotted the set at 22, and Lydia Peters tied it at 23 with a cross-court swing that found the floor. Quincy reached set point on a Madison Loos kill, but Sterling knotted it at 24 on a Payton Ottens swing through the Blue Devils’ block.

Then the Golden Warriors serving bugaboos showed their head at the wrong time. Ottens failed to get her ensuing serve in — Sterling’s fifth service error of the set — and on the next point, Summers delivered the set-winning blow on one of Elise Damon’s 12 assists.

“Elise got the perfect pass, and then after the perfect pass, it was a perfect set,” Summers said. “It all just combined to get the kill.”

Campbell made her presence known in several facets of the game. She led the Blue Devils with four aces and had four of Quincy’s 11 blocks.

“At the varsity level, that’s the best game Edie has ever played,” Brown said. “Her serving, defense and blocking were phenomenal.”

Campbell agreed.

“Best game of my life,” Campbell said.

Douglas matched Summers with 11 digs and was second on the team with six kills. Brown made sure to congratulate Douglas on a job well done.

“I told her that’s the best game I’ve seen you serve receive or play defense in the back row all together, and she’s like, ‘I’m just calmer and I believe I can do it,’” Brown said. “That’s what we needed.”

Douglas said that mindset and the Blue Devils’ ability to grind out a win like they did Thursday will prove pivotal in their pursuit of a Western Big 6 title.

“It shows that we can finish,” Douglas said. “We earned this win, and I think it proved to everyone that we are a good team.”

The Blue Devils (7-2, 3-0 WB6) will have even more to prove next Thursday when they duel with Moline, which is also undefeated in league play.

“I think we’ll grab it,” Brown said.

It all starts with a fearless mindset.

“Stay in that good headspace,” Brown said.