Notre Dame volleyball drops tight season opener to Farmington in three sets

The Notre Dame volleyball team has opened up its season against Farmington for the last decade plus, so the Bulldogs knew what they were getting into.

On a Thursday night when rally points dominated the proceedings and service runs were few and far between, the visiting Knights edged out Notre Dame in three sets, 25-21, 22-25, 25-15.

After two sets in which the biggest gap at any point was six, a strong start put the visitors working from in front in the decisive set, opening the gap to as many as 12 before ending things with a Jesse Miller kill.

Notre Dame's Sam Brennan attempts a shot that is blocked by Farmington's Jesse Miller during the second set Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016 at Notre Dame Regional High School.Fred Lynch

Entering the night, the Bulldogs had dropped the season-opening contest just once (2014) since 2009.

Notre Dame dropped just 10 sets in 35 matches a year ago, one of which went to Farmington in the opener.

It was clear from the start that the Bulldogs were going to have to work for every point this time around.

"Farmington is one of our best opponents we face all year," Notre Dame coach Tara Stroup said. "To have them the first game of the season ... I don't think nerves were an issue tonight, though sometimes it is. You just can't get that far down [in the third set] against a team like that and be able to come back without something extreme happening. But I'm proud of them and proud of their effort.

"It's always a challenge that first game. [Farmington coach Julie Ward] and I were talking about that before the game, saying, 'I wish we didn't have to play you the first game of the season.' Sometimes it goes in our favor and sometimes theirs. Luckily they're in the [Dig for Life Tournament] this year, so I hope we may get to see each other in bracket play in that tournament because they're a very good team, and we'd like another chance at them."

Notre Dame (0-1) erased a 3-0 deficit early in the third set, pulling within a point, 7-6, on a Sam Brennan kill. But the home team couldn't corral a big hit from the Knights' Miller, as Farmington (1-1) built a 10-6 advantage. By the time Kasia Kaiser finished a five-point service run, the Knights had more than doubled up the Bulldogs, 16-7.

As the hosts struggled to build any offensive rhythm, Farmington pulled away.

"Our passes worked really well," Ward said. "We were blocking very well today. And in that third set, especially, I thought we were communicating better than we had been the first and second set.

"It is always a big confidence boost because Notre Dame is good every year. Even though you'll talk to people and they'll say, 'Oh, they lost this girl and this girl,' you know they're going to replace that girl with somebody better. So to come in here, even though it took three sets, we played very well that third set to come out with the win."

Notre Dame's Lexi Welter sets the ball for Maddie McClintock against Farmington during the second set Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016 at Notre Dame Regional High School.Fred Lynch

Notre Dame was paced by Sam Brennan's 11 kills and 16 digs and Lexi Welter's 10 kills and 16 digs. Brooke Blankenship had four service aces, and Maddie McClintock tallied 31 assists.

But the absence of 2015 Southeast Missourian and Semoball Awards Volleyball Player of the Year Abbie McAlister, who graduated, was felt.

"I feel like they played hard," Stroup said. "We struggled to get a kill on offense, and we were talking about it in the locker room afterwards. You know, last year we had one very dominant hitter [McAlister], and we don't have that same kind of offense. We're going to have to equally split things up on offense and have different people step up. I thought, at different times, we did some really good things. We just struggled a little bit offensively.

"We have three girls who are three-year starters -- Sam Brennan, Lexi Welter and my libero [Marianna Below]. So we've got a setter [McClintock] who was on varsity last year, but she's getting a lot of playing time this year for the first time on varsity. So we've got some adjustments to make with that and taking a bigger role and being able to play under pressure. Last year we knew the ball was going to Abbie, and the other people had to do their job defensively and step in when they could. It's going to really have to be a team effort this year, but this team has really good chemistry this year."

Notre Dame was able to push out to a 10-6 lead in the opening set after Farmington couldn't handle an attack from Allison Jansen, but that was as big as the lead got. Farmington pulled back even at 11 thanks to a Carly Genenbacher block, and the two teams traded points until the Knights went ahead for good, 20-19.

The second set saw the Bulldogs get off to a fast 6-0 start behind the serves of Blankenship, who scored two aces during the run. Farmington, however, scored nine of the next 12 points to draw even at nine, and once again, little separated the two teams.

Notre Dame coach Tara Stroup talks to her team between sets against Farmington Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016 at Notre Dame Regional High School.Fred Lynch

The set was tied at 21 when Notre Dame reeled off a four-point swing, including two big hits from the front row for Welter.

Those moments were too few and far between for the Bulldogs on this night.

"When we struggle to get a kill, we had lots of long rallies back and forth, and we just couldn't terminate that last point," Stroup said. "That's something I think will come, and they'll find out where the spots are.

"I told them this is our very first game. This is the 'before' picture. We taped the game, and I'm going to pick it apart and see what we need to do. And I don't want us to be the best we're going to be this season right now. I want us to be the best in October."

It was the final season opener for Stroup, who plans to step down at the end of the campaign after 15 seasons as head coach and 18 with the program. She said the finality of things has crept up on her at times, even if it's not dominating her thoughts right now.

"I wasn't really thinking about it too much tonight because it's the first game and you're excited, and I really want to see how we stack up. So then we really know how to go from there," Stroup said. "But I was watching our JV, and they were playing really well. And I started thinking, 'Next year ...' and then I thought, 'Next year I'm not going to be here.'

"It's a bittersweet kind of thing. Right now I'm just kind of focused on what we're doing, but I'm sure it's all going to hit me later on."

Notre Dame is back on the court Monday against visiting Bernie.