Kvitle resigns as QND volleyball coach to better serve her growing family

Courtney Kvitle resigned as the Quincy Notre Dame girls volleyball coach following six seasons at the helm. | Mathew Kirby photo

QUINCY — Courtney Kvitle and her husband, Jason, began discussing her future as the Quincy Notre Dame girls volleyball coach during the season when she learned she was pregnant with the couple’s third child. Ultimately, Kvitle decided she had to put family first. Monday morning, Quincy Notre Dame athletic director Bill Connell announced he had…

Read More

‘We just didn’t show up to play’: Macomb steamrolls mistake-prone QND in regional final

Quincy Notre Dame setter Annie Eaton, left, watches the Macomb volleyball team celebrate after the final point in the Bombers' 25-18, 25-14 loss on Thursday night in The Hangar at Macomb High School. | David Adam photo

MACOMB, Ill. — Senior Delaney Beard had a difficult time comprehending what had happened. Quincy Notre Dame had been dominant this season, losing just 14 sets while winning 32 out of 36 matches and earning the No. 1 seed in the Class 2A girls volleyball regional. The Raiders only needed to beat fifth-seeded Macomb, which…

Read More

‘I felt threatened, and I felt violated’: QND coach berated in locker room by parents after regional title match loss

Quincy Notre Dame girls volleyball coach Courtney Kvitle walks the sideline during the first set of Thursday's Class 2A regional championship game at the Hangar at Macomb High School. | David Adam photo

MACOMB, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame volleyball coach Courtney Kvitle went into the locker room for a talk no coach wants to have after a disappointing 25-18, 25-14 loss to Macomb in Thursday night’s Class 2A regional championship game at the Hangar at Macomb High School. However, Kvitle’s final words with her team were interrupted when…

Read More

‘You could taste it’: QND lets late lead get away in third set of super-sectional

Members of the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team can't hide their feelings after the final point of Friday night's Class 2A super-sectional game at Clinton High School. | David Adam

CLINTON, Ill. — Four points. Four lousy, stinkin’ points. The Quincy Notre Dame girls volleyball team dominated the first set, overcame a disastrous second set and rebounded to lead 21-15 in the third set of Friday night’s Class 2A super-sectional volleyball match at Clinton High School. “You could taste it,” senior captain Maggie Drew said.…

Read More

Eaton’s save propels QND volleyball team to first super-sectional bid since 2017

The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team celebrates after scoring the final point of the first set during Wednesday's sectional at Knoxville High School. | David Adam

KNOXVILLE, Ill. — The score was about to be tied. Instead of setting the ball to Kennedy Adair, Macomb’s Avery Rexroat opted to use her left hand to dump the ball deep and into the corner of the Quincy Notre Dame backcourt. Once the ball landed on the floor, Macomb would tie the first set…

Read More

QND dominates Riverdale, gets rematch with Macomb in sectional final

From left, Quincy Notre Dame's Annie Eaton and Emma Borrowman go up for a block while Avery Keck waits for a tip during Monday night's match against Riverdale at Knoxville High School. | Photo courtesy of Ben Marth

KNOXVILLE, Ill. — This was more like it. After being forced to sweat out three sets in last week’s regional championship game against Illini West, the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team was dominant in Monday’s Class 2A sectional semifinal. The Raiders crushed Port Byron Riverdale 25-13, 25-13 at Knoxville High School. QND (31-4), ranked No.…

Read More

No messing around: QND strong in all facets, hands Southeastern first loss

Quincy Notre Dame's Abbey Schreacke hits the ball past the block of Southeastern's Amanda Stephens during Tuesday night's volleyball match in Augusta. David Adam

AUGUSTA, Ill. — From the moment her team stepped on the bus Tuesday night, Quincy Notre Dame volleyball coach Courtney Kvitle liked what she saw. “Tonight was the first time I felt like they were on a business trip,” Kvitle said. “They weren’t goofy, they weren’t overly excited, they were just happy. They were here…

Read More

Competitive atmosphere makes Raiders work to earn playing time

Quincy Notre Dame's Laela Hernandez-Jones, left, and Faith Kientzle go through stretching exercises with the rest of the volleyball team prior to Monday's practice. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The atmosphere appeals to Courtney Kvitle’s competitive nature. She hopes it brings out the best in the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball players, too. Since the Raiders first entered the gym August 9 to begin preparing for Wednesday’s season opener in Mendon against Unity, Kvitle has seen nothing but relentless effort and spirited play,…

Read More