CALEDONIA — Caledonia volleyball’s 2024 season came to an end on Thursday night.
The Cavaliers (17-19) hosted New Albany (27-7-2) in the third round of the Class 4A playoffs, losing 3-1 to the Bulldogs.
“I told them that I didn’t expect to lose, so I didn’t have a speech prepared for them,” Cavaliers head coach Samantha Brooks said after the game. “But I talked to them about how much growth I’ve seen from them this year.”
The Cavaliers took a dramatic first set, 26-24, going step-for-step with New Albany nearly the entire way. The Bulldogs held the biggest lead of four points, but the hosts quickly matched that with a run of their own.
The momentum carried into the second set, which was another step-for-step affair until the Bulldogs began to pull away. They held Caledonia at arm’s length and looked ready to close out at 24-19 before Caledonia won the ball back and scored six straight to take a 25-24 lead. It became another tight back and forth, with both teams having an opportunity to close out before New Albany eventually took the set 28-26.
“That’s one part of the game where their growth comes in,” Brooks said. “It’s about fighting to the end and putting it all out there, and that’s what they did.”
The Cavaliers struggled to regain momentum after the second set, losing the following sets 25-17 and 25-20. It wasn’t a case of giving up by any means, but New Albany left no room for error and Caledonia struggled to keep pace. The Bulldogs booked their ticket to the Final Four while the Cavaliers were eliminated.
This was the fourth time the two teams had met this season, and the Bulldogs got the better of Caledonia each time. It wasn’t the result the Cavaliers wanted, but a performance Brooks thinks her team can be proud of.
“They know how far we’ve come and in my 18 years, this has to be the most growth I’ve seen from a team,” she said. “It’s a roller coaster at times but as a coach, a teacher, a mom, we strive to see growth in our kids so that’s an important takeaway.”
The Cavaliers team featured six seniors, many of whom weren’t starters until this year. They had to grow up alongside the underclassmen stepping into bigger roles, and that leadership has Brooks hopeful of the example set for the returning players.
“As a whole, this senior class has all played a role on this team in some way,” Brooks said of the senior class. “They’re all leaders in different respects and have provided for the younger girls. We’ll be solid going forward because even though some of these younger girls have been playing behind starters I’m confident they’ll step up next year.”
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