Playing in front of a vocal crowd in the home gym of their crosstown rival, the Helias volleyball team needed to get off to a quick start Tuesday night.
Mission accomplished.
The Lady Crusaders came out hot from the beginning and rode that start to a 25-11, 25-18 win against the Jefferson City Lady Jays at Fleming Fieldhouse.
"I was very pleased with our effort and energy and focus and execution right from the very start," Helias coach David Harris said. "Maybe they are learning that, "Hey, if we get a lead, it's a little easier.'"
The Lady Jays took their only lead of the night by winning the first point of the match. Helias then got back-to-back kills from Erica Haslag before a hitting error by the Lady Jays, and the Lady Crusaders never trailed again.
"We have to start playing more confidently," Jefferson City coach Lisa Hoffmeyer said. "At the end of the day, it's going to be the biggest thing that we have got to get fixed, because we are playing great teams from behind and putting ourselves in a bad situation early.
"We need to start really, truly believing that we can do the things we're capable of doing and come out and play tough early."
The Lady Crusaders slowly built their lead, but it was only 13-8 after a serving error by Helias. But the Lady Crusaders regrouped and closed out the first game by winning 12 of the final 15 points.
"Erica got those quick kills early in the match and we established the middle early, which we always want to do," Harris said. "That's predicated on good passes, which we were having, and we were able to establish some quick attacks, and that opens up a lot of other things."
The Lady Jays played much better in the second game. After falling behind 2-0 to start, they tied it twice and got to within one point seven different times, the last at 9-8.
"It was just a matter of our kids settling in," Hoffmeyer said. "We didn't change anything lineup-wise. For us, we just have to break through this barrier. I think we need a big win against a great volleyball team to prove to ourselves that we can win a great match."
Right after the Lady Jays got to within 9-8, the Lady Crusaders put together a 7-1 run to effectively end it. Two kills by Haslag, one each by Ashley Dudenhoeffer and Lindsey Griggs, a combo block by Haslag and Griggs, and two Jefferson City errors put the momentum back on the Lady Crusaders' side.
"(Helias was) playing faster than us tonight, and that's something we've been working hard to get fixed," Hoffmeyer said. "We have to a better job of that. We're not recognizing what's happening offensively for the other team. We're kind of sitting back and waiting for things to happen and we're getting beat at the net because of it."
Trailing 23-13, the Lady Jays put together one last challenge, winning five of six points. Mary Vandelicht had two kills, Megan Bleidistel had an ace and Helias had a pair of errors to make it interesting. But a passing error by Jefferson City on the final point ended it.
Harris said he was happy to get a win in a raucous environment.
"We had some communication problems because this may be one of the loudest crowds I can remember in here," he said. "It was really loud and the girls were having a hard time hearing each other. So we had two or three balls fall and a couple times where two hitters were trying to go after the same ball."
Griggs racked up a match-high 10 kills for Helias (5-0), while Haslag added seven. Dudenhoeffer had 27 assists, nine digs and 10 service points. Blake Berhorst added 11 digs and Haslag had eight service points, including two aces.
Jefferson City (1-4) was led by Vandelicht's six kills. Maggie Albert had eight assists and Bleidistel had three service points.
Helias will host Duchesne on Thursday, while Jefferson City will play Saturday in the St. Francis Borgia Invitational.
In Tuesday's JV match, Helias cruised to a 25-9, 25-12 victory.
Abby Shepard had 12 service points, including two aces, and nine assists for Helias (5-0). Hannah Borchelt added eight kills, Laura Vanderfeltz had 14 digs and Erin Wyrick had three blocks.
For Jefferson City, Tatum Gaines had four kills and Stephanie Fisher had two. Cameryn Campbell had six service points for the Lady Jays (2-3).
Helias won the freshman match by a 25-21, 25-12 score.
Alyssa Sullivan had 12 service points and eight assists to lead the Lady Crusaders (5-0). Elisabeth Mealy racked up 17 digs and Kelsey Brester had four kills.
Veronica Allison had 10 service points for the Lady Jays (3-1), Emily Louraine added seven assists and Samantha Murray and Corrin Lepper had three kills each.