Bay vs. Rocky River volleyball: Rockets put final piece together for outright CWC championship season (2024)

For better or worse, “together” was and still is Bay’s calling card all season long.

From the pregame puzzles to the final serve, the Rockets were unmatched in the former Great Lakes Conference and now the Cleveland West Conference.

Together was how they overcame trying times to achieve not only a share of a CWC championship, but the outright championship Oct. 8, with a four-set victory against rival Rocky River.

Bay vs Rocky River 🏐

Rockets defeat Rocky River in four sets to secure outright CWC championship 🏆 @BayAthletics @MJournalSports pic.twitter.com/KOxVzFGUVU

— Mark Perez-Krywany 🤓 (@Perez_Sports) October 9, 2024

“Our coach came back and got us a puzzle that we put together every game, with everyone’s number in the shape of a volleyball, so we put that together every game,” Bay outside hitter Olivia Miller said. “It is a constant reminder that it’s a team game and that we need to win for the team and not just for yourself.”

The Rockets won against Rocky River, 25-13, 19-25, 25-15, 25-21, as they improved to 18-2 (13-0 in CWC).

“We were talking in the locker room, and it is amazing to go undefeated. We haven’t gone undefeated in a really long time,” Bay senior Amelia Vecchio said. “It has been an amazing year, especially because I am a senior. I am speechless about it.”

According to Coach Katie Seal, injuries and illness plagued the Rockets’ health all season. Coupled with inexperienced players coming into the lineup, she made it vital to establish a sense of unity in the locker room.

“I knew from the beginning that we had to have this mentality that no matter what happens on the court, we are going to do this together,” she said. “If we win the point or lose the point, win the set or lose the set, we are going to do it together.

She has yet to have a game with a fully healthy lineup all year long, forcing her to shuffle pieces around all year.

“We feel like we have been (together) all season,” she said. “We had a lot of different lineups out there for injuries and sicknesses. We have really played together. Right before our big Westlake match this year, I brought this puzzle and we put it together every game.”

Although there were times missing players were unable to put together the pieces of their volleyball puzzle, another player would take the initiative to do that part of the puzzle before games. In turn, this small initiative transitions in the game to complete the puzzle on the court.

“There were also a couple of instances where we were missing a couple of people,” Miller said. “It translates into the game that if we are missing those people, we can still find the place to put those pieces back in.”

Bay’s season went to the point where it will be one CWC game against Valley Forge from completing its first undefeated conference season since 2010.

Bay trailed Rocky River, 6-2, to start the first set, but Bay went on a 6-1 run and 7-0 run to take the early match lead. Bay also went on a 10-0 run in the third set.

Miller dominated at the net. As the Rockets’ standout outside hitter, she recorded 20 kills over four set, which rounded her out to a five kills per set average. Amelia Vecchio had 26 assists.

Rocky River leveled the match by taking the second set. However, Bay unified to close the game out in the last two sets.

“No team is going to just roll over and not put up a fight,” Seal said. “Especially tonight. This match meant everything to (Rocky) River to even have a chance to share the title with us and to (also) beat us on our home court. I knew that they were going to go out there and fight. We had to keep answering.”

Majer had a big night at the net as well, as she had four blocks and four kills.

“With blocking, I feel like I really take my time to go up, press and make sure that I am really seeing the ball to where they are hitting,” she said.

Rocky River had a chance to win a share of the conference title with a victory. However, it instead dropped to 11-6 (10-3 in CWC).

“The girls came here to play and compete,” Rocky River coach Wendy Raffin said. “I think both teams had great seasons. I think that we’ve struggled a bit, going up and down, but I am proud of the girls for being down, but not out. They battled back in the second (set) to win it. We just did not have enough tonight.”

The Pirates’ next game will be against North Olmsted (Oct. 12), as it will prepare to play for its OHSAA playoff opener at Copley on Oct. 17.

Bay vs. Rocky River volleyball: Rockets put final piece together for outright CWC championship season (2024)
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