H.S. GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: Veteran-laden Quincy wins city battle

QUINCY -- "When we step onto the court, I definitely forget all the COVID stuff, and everything else that is happening right now," said Quincy High senior volleyball captain Rachel McKenna. "Honestly, I was nervous all summer that we might not have a season at all. It's just such a blessing we are able to play."

"Volleyball is one of the things I most look forward to every day," agreed fellow senior captain Alyssa Ruan. "Knowing I have a game, or even practice, after a day of school, when everything around us is so crazy right now, really gets me going, gets me into that 'back-to-school' mindset."

Tuesday night marked the season's first volleyball showdown between the city's two high schools, and while the usual jam-packed crowd was not at Quincy High, the 100 or so fans scattered at a safe distance in the stands were no less enthusiastic. And Quincy and North Quincy battled fiercely though all three games, even if the more experienced Presidents (3-0) ended up winning 3-0.

Quincy started out fast in the opening game, only to have NQ (2-2) close the gap with a ferocious run of their own, closing to within 20-18, before a final Presidents spurt gave them the 25-19 victory. The Raiders may have been in a funk after that close one, however, as Quincy vaulted out to a 15-6 start in the second game. A couple of clutch points from Quincy sophomore Bridget Hoare pushed the lead to 20-8, before Raiders senior Olga Kosinski made a couple of kills to spark a late comeback. But Quincy got back on track and put them away 25-12.

"The first game was close for a while, but we were able to get on a good run at the end," noted Quincy coach Jacqui Niosi. "That second game, we really played well, and didn't have nearly as many unforced errors."

For the younger NQ squad, a little adversity can at times throw things off course.

"We only have a couple of varsity returners," said NQ coach Caitlin Plaskasovitis. "I think anytime we play Quincy it becomes a mental game, more than a physical one. That second game was a good example of that, where we came out flat after losing that first game. Our errors got in our heads, and took us out of our game."

The Raiders began the third game looking like a machine, rolling up a 4-0 advantage. But Quincy senior Ashley Grehan quickly served her team back to 4-4, added an ace to put them ahead, and added another point after that. NQ sophomore Stephanie Huang made a kill to keep her side close, and Presidents junior Mona Ly replied with a hard-earned point. Raiders points from Kosinksi and senior Ashley Caldwell knotted things at 8-8.

The serves of Quincy sophomore Annika Schmitt led to a turning point, as NQ could not decipher the mustard she was putting on the ball, and a couple of aces punctuated the Presidents' run to a 13-9 advantage. But a handful of Quincy miscues, and a Huang ace brought the visitors back to within 17-14. A long and exciting volley ended with a big McKenna kill, and that seemed to inspire the Presidents for their stretch run.

Hoare notched another kill to put Quincy up 19-15, and a few minutes later it was Ruan's turn to serve. That was lights out for NQ, as Ruan skillfully served four straight points for the 25-15 win that ended the match.

"We're not always good about getting out to a lead, but we have confidence we can always dig ourselves out," Ruan said. "It wasn't the usual Quincy-North Quincy game atmosphere, but we were definitely able to keep the energy going."

"It's still a really intense regular-season rivalry," McKenna said. "We noticed the crowd was smaller, but once the game begins, you're in the middle of the competition, and nothing really changes. We still really wanted this win."

The Presidents have loads of experienced veterans, but also promising younger players. Most of all, everyone is thrilled to be back in action. Both Quincy and NQ expect to play 11-game seasons, with the hope of some kind of Patriot League double-elimination tourney to replace the state tournaments that are cancelled by the pandemic.

"We have a nice mix of seniors and varsity veterans, and five returning varsity starters," said Niosi. "They definitely play with confidence, and our other seniors all have a good amount of experience. I think that having so many returning veterans has been a huge advantage for us this year, with the late start, smaller pre-season and so on. These players already know the tone we set, and what we expect of them. With a younger team it would've been much harder for us to get up and running so soon."

"I think the main thing is that we're all just so overwhelmingly happy to be on the court," added Niosi. "Many of these girls lost their spring seasons, and weren't even able to get in the gym over the summer. ... The kids aren't even coming back to school until next week, so most of them are doing remote learning. I know, Friday practices can be tough to get going, because everyone's been on their computer all week. But I also think the game is a great stress outlet -- I know it has been for me."

North Quincy, with just four seniors returning, has a young team and also a first year coach, to add to their complications of the pandemic restrictions.

"Well, it was certainly not the pre-season any of us had planned for," Plaskasovitis said with a rueful laugh. "But all we can do is follow all the rules, and try to do everything right. I think it amazes me that the kids even show up -- they are not even in school yet. They are an inspiration to me, because everyone has to get a ride to practice every day, and then a ride home and so on, and they just keep doing anything we ask of them."

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