Raiders let strong serving runs carry them into sectional title game rematch with Bombers

FARMINGTON, Ill. — The trick was to treat the Orion volleyball team to a false sense of hope.

Giving up seven of the first 11 points in Monday’s first semifinal match of the Class 2A Farmington Sectional seemed to do that.

It didn’t take long, though, for Quincy Notre Dame to dash that hope.

A 12-2 run turned into a 21-5 blitz that propelled the Raiders to a 25-12, 25-17 victory and set up a rematch with Macomb in Wednesday’s sectional championship. It all hinged on quality service runs from Emma Hoing and Lilly Marth to change things.

“We reacted really quickly,” said Marth, the QND senior defensive specialist. “Our serving really helped us. Once we got that lead, we were really confident and our nerves went away. We just kept going from there.”

It carried them right into a highly anticipated rematch.

QND (33-3) lost to Macomb 25-17, 17-25, 25-23 on October 5 — the Raiders’ only loss to a Class 2A program this season and only home loss — and it was seen at the time as an appetizer to a potential sectional showdown. That matchup become reality when the Bombers beat Sherrard 25-15, 25-14 in the other semifinal.

The Raiders watched the first of the Bombers’ match before boarding the charter bus for the two-hour ride home.

“We have film on them from when we played them earlier this season,” QND senior middle hitter Abbey Schreacke said. “We know what we’ve fixed and we can see what they’ve changed now, too. We just have to learn.”

Avoiding early match jitters will help, too.

“I think we got a little ahead of ourselves,” said Hoing, the QND junior outside hitter. “We really had to calm down and realize we had to take it point by point.”

It started with winning four points on Hoing’s serve. Marth followed with six points on her serve to take a 16-9 lead that would never be touched.

“We got in the huddle after they called a timeout and we were like, ‘OK, the nerves have gone away. Now we can play our game,’” Marth said.

It epitomized the Raiders refusal to stay down.

“I liked when we got down we could get back up,” Schreacke said. “Any game, we know if we make an error we can bounce back.”

Sophomore setter Annie Eaton dished out 20 assists, while Schreacke had 10 kills and Hoing had eight kills and two aces. The Raiders had nine aces overall.

“Coach is always praising our serving,” Schreacke said. “When we can get the other team out of their system and just pick them apart, that’s when we get the advantage.”

The Raiders take full advantage of that.

“I liked how we played as a team and went out there and had fun,” Hoing said. “When we play as a team and are having fun, we can really be unstoppable.”