3 observations: How No. 1 Assumption volleyball beat rival Mercy, remained undefeated
After watching his team squander a five-point lead late in the third set, Assumption High School volleyball coach Ron Kordes could laugh about it after the Rockets corrected course for a four-set victory over rival Mercy on Tuesday.
“We should have been out of here an hour ago,” Kordes said with a smile.
A rowdy Rockets crowd had plenty of reasons to smile after Assumption beat visiting Mercy 25-13, 25-20, 24-26, 25-23.
Ranked No. 1 in the state by the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association, Assumption improved to 11-0. No. 3 Mercy dropped to 8-4.
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Junior outside hitters Chloe Smith (19 kills) and Charlotte Moriarty (17 kills) led the Rockets. Moriarty added four aces.
Kordes was especially pleased with the way his team set the tone early.
“The first two sets, our defense and our blocking were about as good as I’ve seen it,” he said. “What was that they said about Secretariat, running like a tremendous machine?
“But you have to close out. Obviously, you push people into a corner and they’re going to fight back. They did, and I don’t think we handled that very well. … But give Mercy credit. They could have let that third one go, and we could have all walked out of here.”
Here are three observations from the match:
Defense key for Assumption
Both Kordes and Mercy coach Connie Hulsmeyer praised Assumption’s defense.
“They pick up everything,” Hulsmeyer said. “It’s so hard to put a ball down. Even with good, winning swings, it’s hard to put the ball down on them. And when they’re scrambling, they make good plays.”
Kordes singled out sophomore defensive specialist Kristen Simon, who finished with 24 digs.
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“She’s going to be so good,” Kordes said. “She was all over the place out there. It helps when you have one going like that. Everybody else jumps in with her, right?
“I’ve always told the girls that if you play good defense that the offense will show up, and it did tonight. The reason we were running so smooth in the first two sets, our defense was incredible.”
Rockets move on minus Helmers
Assumption suffered a huge blow just before the season started when senior Sydney Helmers, a first-team All-State pick and University of Texas commit, announced she was leaving the team.
Kordes said the offense had to become more balanced without Helmers. Smith, Moriarty and sophomore Bailey Blair have emerged as leaders.
“We have to spread people out now,” Kordes said. “If Sydney were here, you just throw that thing up there and let her climb up and get it. We have to move it around better and get more people involved.”
Smith said the team’s chemistry helped it get through the loss of Helmers.
“We’re pretty close,” she said. “When you do make mistakes, being able to come back in the huddle and tell each other what we need to do better, that understanding helps a lot.
“If we keep going at this rate, we’re going to do well. A lot of it comes from the hard work we’ve put into it.”
Mercy 'on schedule'
Senior Maddie Hagan was a force for Mercy, finishing with 19 kills and a .409 hitting percentage on 44 swings. She had 10 kills in the third set as the Jaguars kept the match alive.
“She’s a pretty special kid,” Hulsmeyer said.
Mercy has finished as the state runner-up each of the past five seasons and figures to be in contention again. While there are 12 seniors on the roster, Hulsmeyer expects to see gradual improvement throughout the season.
“A lot of those 12 seniors don’t have much varsity experience,” Hulsmeyer said. “We’re probably on schedule right now. There are a lot of things we’re doing well and a lot of things we have to get better at.”
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA volleyball: How No. 1 Assumption beat Mercy, stayed unbeaten
