Prelude to a rematch? Macomb volleyball team beats QND in three-set thriller between sectional foes

QUINCY — With her Macomb High School classmates milling around and her Bomber volleyball teammates screaming in the background, senior outside hitter Kennedy Adair tried to sum up Wednesday night’s three-set victory over Quincy Notre Dame.

“That was amazing,” a smiling Adair said after the Bombers survived a 25-17, 17-25, 25-23 thriller at The Pit. “We came in as the underdogs. It feels really good to come in here and show them what we’ve got.”

Macomb (19-1) became the first team to hand QND (24-3) a loss on its home court this season. The Bombers, who suffered their first loss over the weekend at the Orion Tournament, did it by coming out and punching QND in the mouth early. Macomb raced out to a 9-1 lead in the opening set as Adair dominated at the net to back up the serving of Kaitlyn Robinson.

“That’s what killed us,” QND junior Emma Hoing said. “When they got such a big lead, we just couldn’t really get back from it.”

Adair had six of her team-high 11 kills in the opening set. Any hopes of a Bombers sweep were thrwarted thanks in part to the youngest player on QND’s roster. Freshman Eva Breckenkamp helped the Raiders control the net in the second set. 

A Macomb service error gave QND a 14-13 edge in the second set. Breckenkamp had two kills and a block as the Raiders’ lead grew to 18-14 on Annie Eaton’s serve. Seniors Lilly Marth and Ali Entrup helped the Raiders force a decisive third set as Marth served up two winners and Entrup had two kills late in the set.

“I asked them where their pride was,” QND coach Courtney Kvitle said when asked what she told her squad after the first set. “Where was their pride to protect their home court and to play hard in front of a big crowd like this?”

The third set was a nip-and-tuck affair. Macomb led by as many as four points midway through the set and was up 23-21 when an Entrup kill and a mishit by the Bombers tied it at 23. Macomb sewed up the victory on kills by Robinson and Adair. 

“I think our legs got a little tired (in the second set), but we pushed through in the end,” Adair said.

Robinson added five kills, while Allison Stortzum and Ally Thorman added four each for the Bombers.

Hoing led the way with 10 kills and two aces for QND, while Breckenkamp had five kills.

Wednesday’s match may just be an appetizer as both teams are in the same sectional complex. With QND slated to host one of the Class 2A regionals next month, it’s likely Macomb will be sent to the Monmouth-Roseville Regional. 

“It will give them confidence,” Macomb coach Briana Rexroat said of her team’s win. “When we play QND or the bigger schools, there is that mental ‘Oh, man, they are bigger than us.’

“We have to fight with that underdog mentality a little bit more and I think they are beginning to understand that. Tonight was the first time I’ve seen them play with the underdog mentality and go for it.”

QND, meanwhile, will have to regroup down the stretch of the regular season.

“This gets us ready for the postseason and hopefully we are playing our best in a couple of weeks,” Kvitle said.