Notre Dame boys to build off loss in historical volleyball season opener

Notre Dame and St. Francis Borgia made history on Saturday afternoon, taking the floor for the first MSHSAA-regulated varsity boys volleyball game in Southeast Missouri history.

Notre Dame (0-1) came up short, dropping the contest in four sets as the Knights (1-1) stormed back from a few early deficits to take a 3-1 victory.

“I thought they all played really well,” Bulldogs coach Andrea Burford said. “We did a lot of good things, but it also shows us what we need to work on a little bit more in practice.

Notre Dame got some big games out of its veterans, with upperclassmen Dominic Hamby and Luke Seyer both having big nights at the net front.

Those two, as Burford noted, were a huge part of what Notre Dame did last year, and they brought some intensity to the matchup on Saturday despite the defeat.

While the Bulldogs were streaky at times and dropped a few sets after falling cold over long stretches of the game, they showed a lot of energy in their first official MSHSAA game.

“I'm really pleased with how they played,” Burford said. “Borgia is a good team, and we knew we were going to have to play hard.”

But the occasion was bigger than just the score, marking the start of a new era for Notre Dame boys volleyball and coach Burford.

An era in which the group has entered loudly with some big aspirations.

“We were all very, very excited,” Burford said.

“I'm also very excited, because this year I have a lot more boys that have come out for the team, so we’ve got a lot more to work with.”

That excitement carried through the preseason as Notre Dame carried momentum into the year following the addition of boys volleyball to MSHSAA’s roster of interscholastic events.

The interest in the program quickly grew and attracted countless new faces to the squad – particularly from the incoming freshman class.

The Bulldogs’ starting lineup included three freshmen: Joseph Dodson, Drue Duby and Loren Burford, son of the team’s skipper.

Not only is the starting lineup loaded: The bench is jam-packed with first-year players as well.

The Bulldogs’ 11-man roster includes seven freshmen, and that young group has formed a cohesive bond and brought a new energy about the program.

“It's kind of funny with them, because they’ll run drills and everything, but then they're so excited about it,” Burford said.

“They'll take a break, and they'll talk to each other about it and what needs to be done. It's like they’ve kind of helped a little bit.”

Those hard-nosed freshmen have all made an instant impact on the Bulldog roster, fighting in multiple positions for playing time among the veterans.

Those upperclassmen have embraced that talented young group, however, as they work to find their identity early in the new year.

“They have a good respect for each other, the freshmen and the seniors,” Burford said. “I don't think that the seniors feel like they are superior to them.

“They're a team and they work together.”

The biggest challenge for the youthful squad will be feeling out the dynamic of MSHSAA volleyball, and that’s something that will come with time.

But something that could stunt that growth is the jetlag of so many road miles and so much time spent away from home, potentially hurting the development of those athletes.

With so many games against St. Louisan competition, one of the quirks of boys volleyball today, the road to state will be just that: a long, grueling road trip.

The Bulldogs’ next opportunity comes at home once more, hosting St. Mary’s South Side at 6:15 p.m. on Monday before traveling north for the Francis Howell Tournament.

“For me and any of the players that have already played, we're kind of used to that,” Burford said. “That's what we've been doing for the last several years.

“The freshman, it may hit them a little bit. The late nights, and with having homework and that kind of stuff.”

In spite of those challenges, however, Burford spoke about her appreciation of the road and the good that can come out of those long bus rides.

“Sometimes, we really play better when we go away. On the bus ride, you get a lot of that camaraderie with the team building that they do.

“Actually, we've kind of learned how to use it to our advantage.”