'We just need momentum': Mercy McAuley comes back to defeat Roger Bacon

After falling to Roger Bacon in last year's regional semifinals and in five sets this year, Mercy McAuley decided it was time for some revenge.

The Wolves defeated the Spartans in four sets to set up a regional final date with Badin.

"I can't say enough good things about (Roger) Bacon. They're a good program, they fight so hard, and that was what I told our girls," Mercy McAuley head coach Sam Gagnon said.

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A Mercy McAuley victory didn't appear imminent after the first set as Roger Bacon rushed out to a 18-8 lead on their way to a 25-19 victory. The tipping point was seven Mercy McAuley service errors, including three in a row at one point.

The Wolves did close to within five points late in the set, giving the team momentum for the rest of the match.

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"Volleyball is a momentum sport. It was just about, no matter what the score is, no matter what the game is, we just need momentum. If they take it, we need to take it back. If we have it, we need to keep it," Gagnon said.

The Wolves rode that momentum to a 25-18 second set victory. Just as Roger Bacon put together a seven-point run in the first set, Mercy McAuley got its own six-pack to create separation and tie the match.

The third and fourth sets were much closer. In both instances, neither team had more than a two-point lead midway through either set. Despite four kills from senior Kelsey Niesen and blocks from Mariah Gaines and Morgan Sunderman, the Spartans couldn't keep pace with the powerful arms of Sophia Adkins, Ruby Klusman and Elly Drake.

When the Wolves and Spartans met on Oct. 12, Drake was Mercy McAuley's only player with double-digit kills. Against Roger Bacon, Adkins led the way with 15 kills, and Klusman and Moore both contributed nine.

"Every huddle was kind of just preparing for that next point, that next five points, what we're going to do either way," Moore said.

The Wolves escaped with a 25-21 win in the third set.

A 9-3 run in the fourth set, propelled by five Roger Bacon errors, helped the Wolves gain a 20-14 advantage in the fourth set. Roger Bacon head coach Alyssa Flading called a timeout and told the team the same thing she had said all year. She was looking for three points in a row. If the Spartans could do that, one point at a time, they'd be right back in the game.

"Whether you're up 24-15 or not, that's our goal, and I say it over and over again until I'm blue in the face," Flading said.

Unfortunately, the opposite happened. The Wolves' lead grew to 24-14. The Spartans didn't go down without a fight, scoring seven straight points, much to the delight of their student section.

Roger Bacon and Mercy McAuley both brought their cheering sections out in force. There was constant noise in the gym, but in the end, the final hurrah came from those in orange.

"With our league, we're kind of spoiled, so we know what it's like to have a cheering section. So we definitely prepared for it," Moore said.

In the end, it was Niesen, the team leader in aces, who fired a serve wide to send Mercy McAuley through to the regional final.

Senior salute

Kelsey Niesen is Roger Bacon's lone senior. She is the youngest of five girls in her family, all of whom Flading has coached. Listed as a hitter, she was second on the team in kills and aces and led the Spartans in digs this year. She is the school record holder with 1,046 kills but also has 1,277 digs, 192 aces, 56 blocks, and 32 assists in her four-year career.

"This is a very bittersweet moment for me, for our program. She was the epitome of what I expect out of my players," Flading said.

Niesen accrued an 85-23 record with the varsity squad. She helped the Spartans make the 2022 regional final and the 2021 state championship game against Cleveland Gilmour Academy. She is committed to playing in college at Xavier University.

What's next for Mercy McAuley?

Mercy McAuley will face Badin at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Butler for the regional title.

The Wolves beat the Rams in four sets on Oct. 9 and have a 2-1 record against the GCL-Coed this season.

"I think that Badin is going to be a whole new team. They want to win just like we do. So we definitely have to prepare for them," Moore said.