By Joshua Staloch
Correspondent
GREEN BAY – The Bay Port High School volleyball team improved its Fox River Classic Conference mark to 6-0 with a straight-set victory (26-24, 25-23, 25-15) on the road against Notre Dame Academy Oct. 8.
The Pirates hand their hands full in the first set after an ace by Notre Dame’s Cadence Maxfield gave the home team a 21-18 lead.
Bay Port’s Keegan McGlachin (nine kills) turned the match’s momentum around thanks to a slow-speed touch shot to make it 22-20 before tying the game at 22 shortly after with a kill.
The Pirates took the lead on the next point with an ace from Brooke Clement (13 kills) before going on to win the opener with a well-placed backhand shot by Kealey Bisser.
“We finished strong the first set,” said Bay Port head coach Thiago Barbosa. “At the beginning of the game, I don’t know if we were nervous or if we got stressed. I think our serve was the key. When we serve as good as we served tonight, it makes it easier to see where they’re going to be setting the ball and where we need to be to block the shot.”
The action was back and forth to start the second set.
With the game tied at four, the Pirates took a 9-6 lead after a Clement kill.
Bay Port led 22-15, but the Tritons battled their way back.
Olivia Sullivan killed a shot to get her team to within 23-17, and Brooklyn Onell closed the gap to 24-19 with a tip shot to the open court.
Notre Dame got to within 24-23, but McGlachin rifled a kill shot to end the set.
“With scores of 26-24 and 25-23, you can’t complain about either of the first two games,” said Notre Dame head coach Ben Alexander-Wolf. “We had a boatload of digs tonight, and we were all over the floor defensively – that was a bright spot. Overall, I know that’s the kind of defense we’re capable of playing. Ultimately, we couldn’t put the ball to the floor. We need to get back to the drawing board offensively.”