The Irish and the Blue Devils both vying for a big victory vs cross-town rival
Photos from last season
Mike Rose | @MFRose11 (Twitter)
Monday, October 5, 2015 | BataviasBest.org
On Tuesday night Batavia’s cross-town rivalry will be renewed once again, this time in a volleyball showdown at Batavia High School – as Notre Dame and Batavia will square off in what is expected to be a great match.
Notre Dame carries an undefeated record into the contest, sitting at 10-0, while Batavia brings in a record of 6-5, and although the records would appear to give Notre Dame an edge, Batavia has a very young team and have played a difficult schedule to this point in the year.
That being said, Notre Dame brings in one distinct advantage, and that is the size that they possess on their team – with three players measuring out at 6′ or taller. I expect that this will pose a real problem for a Batavia team that does not have any players who exceed 6′ tall.
Norton taking a break in between points during a Sectional contest last season.
In particular, the biggest concern for Batavia will be ND’s senior captain Shea Norton, who stands at 6’2″ tall and leads the team in kills with 58. Norton is one of the most talented players around and her size gives her a major edge over her opponents.
While lacking in size, Batavia certainly does not lack in ability, as senior captains Tessa Engel and Madison McCulley lead the Blue Devils’ balanced attack. The Devils have had some growing pains this year, but Engel recently told me that the girls who have stepped into new roles this season are becoming more comfortable in their positions as the season has progressed.
In terms of the dynamic that comes with the Batavia-Notre Dame rivalry, both Engel and ND’s Norton each had a bit to say.
“I think that we are growing as a community lately,” Norton began, “And there is a lot more of a bond between students (than there has been in past years), but the rivalry is still there and it’s great competition and something I feel we are all looking forward to.”
Engel seemed to have a few similar thoughts on the upcoming matchup.
McCulley (far left), Engel (middle right), and Stefaniak (far right) will all be important pieces for the Blue Devils tomorrow night (Photo is from last season)
“We’re heading into the game excited,” she said. “It’s always fun playing girls you know. We know who they have and what we have to do to stop them. Now it’s just time we actually have to do it. It should be a great game the rivalry between us is always fun, it gets everyone excited and ready to play.”
All in all, as Norton and Engel mentioned, this should be an exciting contest throughout as a big crowd is anticipated and it will be an exciting atmosphere inside the gym on Tuesday night. It should be a tight one and definitely has a chance to go the distance as both teams sound like they will be bringing their A game for this one.
Tune in to @BB_Scores on Twitter for LIVE updates during the game.
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