Notre Dame boys volleyball team takes court for historic home match

Judging from the smiles on the faces of the Notre Dame boys volleyball team, you couldn't tell they had just suffered a defeat at the hands of Duchesne on Thursday evening.

The fact they were playing a home volleyball game in the first place trumped any outcome.

"It was everything I thought it'd be. It was so awesome," Notre Dame junior John Fennewald said. "The fans out here, the whole community supporting it -- it was just so cool. It's been a dream of mine since I heard we were going to start playing, so today it was really, really great."

Nearly 400 fans packed the stands at the Notre Dame gymnasium to see the first Missouri State High School Athletic Association boys volleyball game played in the area, and they did not leave disappointed. Notre Dame gave Duchesne, a St. Louis-area high school team, all it could handle before dropping a 25-20, 20-25, 25-18 decision.

"It was great support from the fans," Notre Dame coach Mark Moore said. "All the students came out to support this. A lot of people wanted to see it come to fruition finally. A lot of parents have pushed for this sport for awhile, I think, and to get started this year and have such a great turnout our first home match is fantastic.

Notre Dame’s Rhett Simmons celebrates a point during the second set of Thursday’s match against Duchesne at Notre Dame Regional High School. (Laura Simon)

"It was great. A great atmosphere."

The Bulldogs (5-4) played their first eight matches on the road, so the competition was nothing new. Playing before a home crowd, though, was something special.

"It is wonderful," said Brother David, the Notre Dame principal, who sat in the Notre Dame student section throughout the game and even led them in several cheers. "These kids have begged for this, and they have worked so hard. I am so proud. I couldn't be prouder. We didn't win, but we didn't lose. We did really well, and this is the beginning of a great tradition here at the high school."

It didn't take long for the fans assembled in the gym to get behind their newest team. An eight-point run early in the first game gave Notre Dame a 9-3 advantage.

But Duchesne (7-5) quickly came back, putting together a 10-point run of its own to take a 15-10 lead. Notre Dame pulled to within 21-19 late in the set, but Duchesne scored four of the final five points to take the set.

Notre Dame fans cheer in the stands as the Bulldogs win the second set against Duchesne.

The second set was close throughout, the Bulldogs leading 21-20 before closing with a flourish, scoring the final four points of the set to win 25-20 and earning a standing ovation from their fans.

"The fans definitely feed into our play," said Notre Dame junior hitter Rhett Simmons, who led the Bulldogs with 14 kills and added 12 assists. "It helps us out a lot. It helps us push through when we were down, and we came back a couple times and gave them a run for their money."

Duchesne quickly took control of the third set, jumping to a 6-1 lead. Notre Dame battled back to lead 11-9, but Duchesne took the lead for good at 14-13 and cruised to the win.

Finnewald and senior Ben Dohogne added six and five kills, respectively, while senior Collin Kramer dished out a team-high 15 assists.

As dominant as Simmons was at the net, the Bulldogs suffered somewhat when he rotated to the back row. That's when Duchesne's hitting depth scored several key points.

Notre Dame coach Mark Moore directs his players from the sideline during the second set.

"That's our best rotation, with Rhett hitting at the front," Moore said. "Finnerwald at the back, he's all over the place, digging balls out and chasing everything down in the back, Rhett taking care of business in the front row. That's a good rotation for us. We need to get a little more consistent on our other rotations."

But throwing a scare into a school from a volleyball hotbed like St. Louis is definitely a feather in Notre Dame's cap.

"I knew coming in that we were going to have a battle on our hands," Duchesne coach Mark Wilhite said. "We've got seven seniors on the squad, and that makes a world of difference.

"Next year, when they come up to play us, it'll be a different match. I guarantee that."

Meanwhile, there's a handful of future home games for the Bulldogs as they lay the foundation for another successful sporting venture.

Notre Dame’s Tyler Allen hits past Duchesne blocker Jack Effertz during the first set.

"It's exhilarating," said Dohogne, a senior hitter who waited three long years for boys volleyball to be instituted as a sponsored sport at Notre Dame. "All the fans are just amazing, and the cheers are, honestly, hilarious. I couldn't have a better time, honestly, on the court.

"Being the first boys volleyball team to play, it's just great. Coming here and having this much support in our first home match is just amazing, and I couldn't feel more happier to be part of this school at all."