Manore's tough love bringing out the best in Bedford volleyball team

TEMPERANCE − Bedford volleyball was a team in transition last year.

The Mules were young and brimming with potential. Those flashes of greatness came in spurts right up until the team lost to Saline in the District finals.

Inexperience never let Bedford off the hook.

Jodi Manore has coached at Bedford for 38 years and knows what it takes to build a successful team. Her blunt demeanor coupled with a supportive drive have worked magic on one of the winningest programs in state history.

"She's hard on us, but it's because she expects the most out of us," said Hannah Fausze. "Clearly it shows because we hold ourselves now to that expectation and we're doing really good."

The Mules are making good on their potential this year.

Five different players recorded five or more kills Tuesday as Bedford dominated in a three-set sweep against arch-rival Monroe. The Mules won 25-12, 25-18, 25-11 to improve to an impressive 22-6-1 overall this season.

Despite their success and strong play, Manore's approach has not changed.

"I'm just as hard on them this year," she said. "But if they're doing the right things, you don't have to be hard on them."

There was little need for a hard approach Tuesday.

Bedford cruised through the first and third sets, only hitting a few snags in the middle frame before pulling away for the win.

Everybody had a part to play.

Macy Madalinski led the Mules, hitting .529 with 10 kills. Victoria Gray (.750) and Kadie Morse (.500) recorded 6 kills apiece with excellent efficiency. Jaelyn Hall added 7 kills and Fausze had 5.

"It's exciting," Fausze said. "If it's Jae or Vic or anyone, if they get a good kill, everybody goes crazy. It's great now because Victoria has another year under her belt, Jaelyn has a couple years now. We have a really big front row and we can just put the ball down."

Fausze is one of just three seniors on the squad. Gray and setters Alivia Brown and Kaylin Schroeder are sophomores, while Madalinski, Morse, and Hall are part of a large junior class.

Any of those girls have the skill to be the No. 1 player on most teams in the Monroe County Region. That gives Bedford a depth few teams can match.

"We don't have to count on just one," Manore said. "Last year, Kadie and Vic were a year younger. And Jae was just a sophomore too. They're far improved. That's three big hitters who are a year older. They've learned a lot."

Bedford picked up points from each of its five hitters early in the first set. Gray started the match with a kill, followed by three from Fausze for a 4-1 lead. Hall's first kill made it 5-1, Morse extended it to 9-3, and two quick hits from Madalinski put it up to 12-3.

Morse and Madalinski combined for the final four points of the set.

"They just have tons of options," Monroe coach Angela Tedora said. "They are better than they were even at the beginning of the year. We saw them at their tournament and their hitters are connecting with their setters a whole lot more than they were at the beginning of the year."

Schroeder directed Bedford's offense with 29 assists. Defensively, Taylor Destatte and Rylee Haberland contributed 15 digs apiece and Gray recorded 3 blocks.

"Everything has been coming together," Fausze said. "From the beginning, we all just got along. We all trust each other, we all like each other."

After rallying from behind in the second set, Bedford closed out the match strong.

Schroeder served four straight points to start the third and final set, Gray took over for four points and Madison Goforth had three straight aces to build up a commanding 14-3 lead. Morse had the match-winning kill.

"I'm in no way disappointed in my kids' effort," Tedora said. "They did not come in and lay down. The first and third game we struggled, but the second game they gave it everything they had."

Monroe held multiple leads in the second set.

The Trojans scored the first three points of the set and kept fighting even as Bedford rallied. The Mules tied it at 5-5 and 7-7 before taking their first lead.

Even after the Mules pulled away for a 20-11 advantage, Monroe kept up the fight with five-straight points that put the Trojans within four and forced Bedford to call a timeout. The Mules came out of the short break on a 5-2 run to win the set.

Anna Tedora stole the show for Monroe with a number of highlight-reel plays on defense. She finished with 19 digs and a near-perfect rating on serve receive.

"She's just hungry," Coach Tedora said. "She just wants to compete. She's a competitor and she gives it everything she's got."

Alana Aulph (8 assists) and Sydney Button (8 kills) also played well for the Trojans, who dipped to 6-9-1 overall.

"We just need to keep plugging along," Tedora said.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Bedford volleyball spreads attack, sweeps through rival Monroe