Volleyball: Wethersfield spoils Saige Barnett’s coaching debut at Bureau Valley

MANLIUS - It was everything Saige Barnett thought it would be - except for the outcome.

The decorated three-sport athlete at Bureau Valley High School embarked on a new chapter for the Storm Tuesday night at the Storm Cellar as the new head volleyball coach for her alma mater.

Wethersfield, however, spoiled Barnett’s homecoming by defeating the Storm 25-18, 25-10 in the 2023 season opener.

“It’s special. It’s awesome. Just looking up in the stands before the game started, you know everybody,” she said. “They’re on your side. They’re in your corner. It’s a good feeling.”

The only thing better would have been a win.

“We got the jitters out. Wethersfield’s a solid team. (Wethersfield coach) Tonya Vincent has been coaching probably as long as I’ve been alive, if not longer,” Barnett said. “We knew it was going to be tough. It was a good testament of where we’re at.”

Even the coach had jitters.

“Yes, I thought I was going to puke during the National Anthem,” she said with a laugh. “And it’s real. The girls were feeling it. I was feeling it. But we just stuck it out together and we’ll just be better when we’re back in this gym Thursday night.”

BV senior setter Kate Salisbury said the Storm are all excited to be play for Barnett, who they all grew up admiring.

“We grew up in the gym watching her, so it was really fun to play for her. We all think it’s pretty cool,” Salisbury said.

Salisbury said Barnett has passed on her hard-work ethic to the team.

“No one outworks us. Whether we win or lose, we leave that court knowing no single person outworks us,” she said.

The Storm took early leads of 7-3 and 8-7 in the first set, but the Geese went up 12-8 and 16-12. The Storm got as close as 17-16, but could never catch up, falling 25-18.

“We got our first-game jitters out of the way. That first game was so much fun. We were all very happy to be back,” said Salisbury, who had three assists and two points.

After a competitive first set, Barnett said things got away from the Storm in the second. They fell behind 12-5, 15-7 and 17-7, eventually falling, 25-10.

“The first game, we came out guns blazing. It was like, ‘Man, this is who we are, this is what we are coming into the season.’ Then that second game, we just fell short,” Barnett said. “We just kind of changed. The atmosphere in the gym changed. The girls demeanors changed. But they know that. They’re smart girls and coming in to tomorrow’s practice, we’ve just got to be better.”

The Storm never got much offense going with no one getting more than one kill in the match, a figure put up by four different players. Junior libero Lesleigh Maynard notched seven digs with Taylor Neuhalfen adding five and Kate Stoller and Emma Stabler three each.

Bureau Valley will return to action at home Thursday against Annawan, like Wethersfield, another future opponent of Bureau Valley in the Lincoln Trail Conference next year.

“It’s an early look at the new conference,” Barnett said. “We knew it’s not an easier conference, especially in the volleyball world. They have successful coaches, successful teams, a legacy for volleyball. We’re not going in thinking it’s going to be an easier road. It’s going to be tough like it is here (in the Three Rivers).”

• Wethersfield swept all three levels, winning the freshmen match 25-22, 25-18 and the sophomore match 25-13, 25-11.