This is “Dots,” VolleyballMag.com’s weekly look at 10 things in high school volleyball, past or present, that interest me and hopefully will interest you. Look for Dots every Tuesday until the last high school state championship in November.
• Last Friday, four national powers played in a showcase event aired by ESPN. Cathedral Catholic of California, the defending national champions, faced off against host school Prestonwood Christian Academy of Plano, Texas, on ESPNU in one match. The other pitted St. James Academy of Lenexa, Kansas, a multi-time national champion; against Cornerstone Christian of San Antonio, the Nike Tournament of Champions – Southeast victor. The latter match aired on ESPN+.
I have mixed thoughts about this.
On the one hand, getting high school volleyball on cable television is HUGE for the sport.
On the other, it feels like a step backwards. Last year, the event had a major sponsor in GEICO and was a tournament of sorts, with semifinals and a final. This year it was just two matches, only one of which was available without streaming.
• Prestonwood (28-4) won the main event, toppling Cathedral Catholic in three straight sets. The win avenged a quarterfinal loss to the Dons, 2-0, at the Durango Fall Classic three weeks ago.
Cari Spears, who last week committed to Texas, was the statistical leader for the Lions with 17 kills and two blocks, but the big difference between the first matchup and this one, coach Ryan Mitchell said, was the play in the middle. Kennedy Washington hit .638 with seven kills and five blocks and freshman Nyla Livings hit .417 with six kills and five blocks. Libero Gillian Pitts also was a difference maker, passing a 2.67 and contributing 10 digs.
• St. James defeated Cornerstone in four sets in the other showcase match. The win came just four days after longtime St. James coach Nancy Dorsey lost her mother, Ellen, who was affectionately known as “Gaga.”
Dorsey made the difficult decision to “play on” in tribute to her mom and won a match most expected St. James to lose. This is what she posted to Facebook afterwards:
“What. A. Whirlwind. I’m tired. To say we are proud of this group is an understatement! They took on Texas and went to play in a nationally televised match against a top ten opponent in a game very few gave them a chance to win. Not only did they win…they did so in dramatic fashion. They played so well as a team and…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Volleyballmag.com…