Dexter takes second at Notre Dame Volleyballfest

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com
The Dexter varsity volleyball team celebrates its three-set win against Notre Dame at the Notre Dame Volleyballfest Saturday night in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Dexter Bearcats varsity volleyball team secured a second-place finish for a second consecutive season at the Notre Dame Volleyballfest Saturday night.

Dexter beat Lindbergh 25-18, 25-13 in a quarterfinal and edged host Notre Dame 25-19, 26-28, 25-23 in a semifinal before falling to defending Class 3 state champion Helias Catholic 25-13, 25-21 in the championship.

"This was a tough, tough tournament," Dexter coach Carmen Morgan said. "I just told our girls 'we have no reason to hang our head or feel bad.' Going in we thought this tournament would show us how we stacked up against other teams and I think we stacked up fine. We know a few more things we have to work on, but all-in-all our girls played tough, strong and persevered during times there was a lot of stress. When you can do that early in the season I'm happy."

The Bearcats fell behind 11-5 in the third set of its semifinal against Notre Dame. Dexter got as close as 17-16 before Notre Dame increased its lead back to 21-17.

Dexter scored the next four points on a kill by Hannah Thurmon, set over the net by Bailee Williams, block by Krysten Garrison and attack error by Notre Dame to tie things up at 21-21.

Notre Dame followed with a kill to take its final lead of the decisive set at 22-21.

Dexter scored the next three points on two kills by Garrison and an ace serve Brittany Brown.

Notre Dame cut the deficit to 24-23 before the game ended when Garrison hammered a ball off the hands of a pair of Notre Dame players at the net that was blocked out of bounds.

"It was hard-fought," Morgan said of beating Notre Dame. "I just told their coach 'whoever won that or lost that game had nothing to feel bad about.' That was the type of game it was and that's the way it should be. We got down, and we tend to dig ourselves a hole sometimes, but we came back and kept after it."

The Bearcats varsity secured a second-place finish in its four-team pool before the start of bracket play. Dexter beat Perryvile 25-19, 26-24 Friday, lost to Helias Catholic 25-20, 25-20 Friday and split Lafayette 23-25, 25-17 Saturday.

Notre Dame secured a first-place finish in its pool which featured Ste. Genevieve, St. Vincent and Lindbergh.

Notre Dame beat Perryville 25-17, 25-14 in quarterfinal action before dropping its semifinal to Dexter.

On the other side of the bracket, Helias Catholic won a quarterfinal against Ste. Genevieve and St. Vincent beat Lafayette in its quarterfinal. Helias Catholic beat St. Vincent 25-10, 27-25 in its semifinal to reach the championship.

"We are a Class 3 school and we have got to play teams like this to get to where we need to be in the postseason," Morgan said. "This is the best tournament we've got right now. It allows you to see the game at a quicker pace. You've got to do everything right to win in these kind of games."

The Dexter junior varsity placed third in its pool. The Dexter junior varsity split with the Perryville ninth grade 26-24, 24-26, lost to Helias Catholic 25-20, 25-17 and split with the Perryville junior varsity 25-12, 20-25.

The Dexter junior varsity was eliminated from bracket play when it lost its quarterfinal to Lindbergh.

Helias Catholic won the junior varsity bracket at the Notre Dame Volleyballfest.

The Dexter junior varsity now supports a record of 4-2-2.

The Dexter varsity is 7-2-1.

Dexter returns to action Tuesday when it visits Bloomfield.

View Notre Dame Volleyballfest results below:

POOL PLAY

VARSITY POOL A

Notre Dame def. Ste. Genevieve 25-22, 25-20

Notre Dame def. Lindbergh 25-18, 25-14

Notre Dame split St. Vincent 20-25, 25-21

Ste. Genevieve split Lindbergh 25-21, 19-25

Ste. Genevieve split St. Vincent 23-25, 25-19

St. Vincent split Lindbergh 25-20, 23-25

VARSITY POOL B

Lafayette split Dexter 25-23, 17-25

Helias Catholic def. Lafayette 25-16, 25-21,

Lafayette def. Perryville 25-23, 25-20

Helias Catholic def. Dexter 25-20, 25-20

Helias Catholic def. Perryville 25-21, 25-20

Dexter def. Perryville 25-19, 26-24

JUNIOR VARSITY POOL A

Notre Dame split Ste. Genevieve 25-13, 16-25

Notre Dame def. Lindbergh 25-8, 25-16

Notre Dame def. St. Vincent 25-18, 25-16

Lindbergh def. Ste. Genevieve 2-0

St. Vincent split Ste. Genevieve 12-25, 25-22

Lindbergh def. St. Vincent 25-20, 25-21

JUNIOR VARSITY POOL B

Perryville 9th split Dexter 26-24, 24-26

Helias Catholic def. Perryville 9th 25-13, 25-14

Perryville JV def. Perryville 9th 25-20, 25-22

Helias Catholic def. Dexter 25-20, 25-17

Perryville JV split Dexter 12-25, 25-20

Helias Catholic def. Perryville JV 25-9, 25-17

VARSITY BRACKET PLAY

Quarterfinals

Notre Dame def. Perryville 25-17, 25-14

Dexter def. Lindbergh 25-18, 25-13

St. Vincent def. Lafayette

Helias Catholic def. Ste. Genevieve

Semifinals

Dexter def. Notre Dame 25-19, 26-28, 25-23

Helias Catholic def. St. Vincent 25-10, 27-25

Championship

Helias Catholic def. Dexter 25-13, 25-21