Girls volleyball: Bureau Valley coach Saige Barnett finds some relief back on the court

MANLIUS – Saige Barnett needed volleyball, and she knew her Bureau Valley girls needed her.

Barnett was on the bench Monday for the Storm’s season opener at the Storm Cellar, just eight days after a devastating fire that claimed her and her fiancé's house in Hooppole. They were both present when the fire broke out Aug. 18.

The Storm coach said it was good to be back playing, but unfortunately for the Storm the visiting Riverdale Rams spoiled the feel-good moment.

The Rams rallied from a 23-15 deficit in the first set, ripping off the final 10 points for a 25-23 victory and carried that momentum into the second set to take the match with a 25-18 clincher.

“There was a lot going on, but at the end of the day, this is my job and I love it and the girls are relying on me to be present. I’m expecting that out of them as well,” Barnett said. “I’m happy to be back. Start the season. Best part of the year.”

The Bureau Valley community has held a series of fundraisers for Barnett and her fiancé, Hunter Oleson, concluding with a benefit dinner during Tuesday’s home matches with Erie-Prophetstown, his alma mater.

“We’re super thankful, grateful. It means a lot,” Barnett said. “We’re spoiled. We’re loved. And we just hope one day we can find a way to give back in any capacity that would remotely touch what they’ve done for us – and the Erie-Prophetstown community, as well. They’re close to our hearts.”

The Storm were seemingly cruising to a first-set victory.

They used a pair of jump serves by senior Kinley Canady and a tip by classmate Taylor Neuhalfen to go up 13-8. A tip by Emma Stull gave the Storm a 16-12 lead and an ace by Neuhalfen helped make it 22-14 on the way to a 23-15 lead.

Sophomore Cayleigh Hungate hit for the Riverdale sideout, and the Rams never gave the serve up, sneaking away with a 25-23 stunner.

Barnett said the Storm got stuck in a serve-receive rotation they are not quite familiar with and “couldn’t really bounce back from it.”

“It’s a new rotation,” she said. “You have a new class of seniors and a new class of juniors meshing together. And we just have to continue to trust each other and build those relationships and that serve-receive rotation will be one of our best at some point, and hopefully sooner than later.”

In Set 2, the Storm fell behind 12-6 and 17-7. They fought back within 22-18 on a kill by Canady, but could get no closer, falling 25-18.

“It’s a game of momentum and mistakes and when neither of them are going your way, it’s hard to bounce back. But I know we’re capable of it. I know we can do it,” Barnett said. “It’s going to take some time. It’s the first week. It’s early. We don’t want to be thinking about Game 1 vs. Riverdale in October. We need to think how we bounce back tomorrow night against Erie-Prophetstown.

“We saw a glimpse of what the team is capable of. I saw them all summer. They busted their butt. Now we’ve just got to put two games together and play that way. We’d be a lot more concerned if we never saw that.”

Neuhalfen led the Storm with nine kills while Canady had six kills and six digs. Other leading contributors were senior libero Lesleigh Maynard (12 digs), senior Landry Hitzler (5 digs, 5 points, 4 aces) and sophomore setter Libby Endress (12 assists, 8 digs, 6 points, 3 aces).

“Riverdale is a well-coached team and an established program,” Barnett said. “We knew it was going to be tough, but I thought the girls had one good game and then one game to learn from. Hopefully, we go in with that mentality tomorrow against Erie-Prophetstown.”