Vicenza’s Ally Taylor softly hits the ball over a pair of Wildcat defenders during the first set as the Vicenza Cougars play the Naples Wildcats at Vicenza High School on Oct. 13, 2023. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
VICENZA, Italy – Among the contenders for the DODEA-Europe girls Division II volleyball championships, the Naples Wildcats might now have the edge.
A week after handing defending champion Aviano its first loss, the Wildcats gave the Vicenza Cougars their first divisional defeat of the season Friday night in a 25-20, 25-17, 25-22 sweep. Saturday, Naples topped Black Forest Academy 26-24, 23-25, 25-23, 25-19.
But don’t tell that to Naples coach Biannca Recorder.
According to Recorder, the team Naples saw Friday will be a whole different team in late October, as she’s sure her Vicenza counterpart, John Kohut, is “going to train them for Euros now that he has seen us play.”
Still, the Wildcats weren’t complaining about the victory. Especially after battling back from an 8-3 deficit in the third set.
“It was a little tough when they started to get up on us, but it was a really good comeback,” Naples captain Ella Grace said.
Naples' Gracie Grannis spikes the ball over a Vicenza defender during the second set as the Vicenza Cougars play the Naples Wildcats at Vicenza High School on Oct. 13, 2023. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
Naples' Gracie Grannis set the ball for her teammate Emma Heavy during the second set of the match between the Naples Wildcats and Vicenza on Oct. 13, 2023. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
Naples took a series of six-point leads in the opening set and then held off the Wildcats for the victory. The second set wasn’t as close. The Cougars rallied to begin the final set – only to eventually fall after the Wildcats caught them and finished off the sweep.
“In the third set they got a little tired and complacent, but they brought it back up,” Recoder said.
“Lots of errors,” and “not 100%,” was how Kohut spoke about Vicenza’s performance on the court.
“The biggest thing is serving, if we serve well, we stay in the game,” Kohut said. “When (the girls) hit where they needed to hit, we were able to make good points.”
Kohut, like Recorder, said the outcome could go either way if the teams meet again in the tournament. And the Cougars didn’t seem that down afterwards.
“I think obviously we could have done better, but that is just how it is sometimes,” Vicenza captain Maya Fitch said.
