St. Xavier volleyball wins GCL for first time since ‘06

• Junior Patrick Beer leads the Bombers in service aces and assists per game.
• Junior middle blocker Michael Hartmann is averaging 0.82 blocks per game to lead the team.
• Dahm and fellow senior Connor Skelly were named DI All-South Region Honorable Mention last season.
• Dahm leads the team with 122 digs.

SPRINGFIELD TWP. – If 2014 mirrors 2006 for the St. Xavier High School volleyball team, it’s going to be a fun next few weeks for the Bombers.

St. X (14-1) clinched the Greater Catholic League title for the first time since ’06, the same year as their last state title in volleyball.

“That was nice; it was one of our goals this year,” coach Bill Ferris said of winning the GCL. “The record is icing on the cake. I didn’t know if we’d be undefeated (or) at .500. I didn’t know where we’d fall, but I love being closer to the undefeated side than the .500 side.”

Winning brings more than a smile to a coach’s face; it gives the coach a bevy of options throughout the season when it comes to his lineup.

“It buys me some time,” Ferris said. “It buys patience on my behalf. It’s given us a chance to try to work a little bit for next year as well. I get to see what they can do, what they like to do in games, what they don’t and then probably equally as important, I get to rest some of the starters. I don’t have to keep pushing them out there every single game.”

That rest may prove vital come the postseason. The South Region continues to play as one of the toughest regions in the state and this year is no different. The Moeller Crusaders are ranked No. 1 in the OHSBVA state poll with the Elder Panthers sitting at No. 2, one spot in front of the Bombers. St. X is 3-1 against its GCL foes this season.

The play of senior libero Brian Dahm models why this team’s been so successful. Dahm made the seamless transition from setter to libero this season and is one of a group of eight seniors to find themselves in a different role this season.

“Our senior leadership is solid,” Ferris said. “They’re all comfortable playing. I’ve moved them around a little bit and they’ve been great adjusting to that.”

Adjustment is something that has come easier for this group. Much of that has to do with their experience. While most of the seniors were on varsity last season, the majority of juniors stayed down on junior varsity last season so they could make the transition to the varsity level as a group in 2014. This allows for Ferris and his coaching staff to be more efficient with their precious time in the gym.

“The thing that’s nice is we don’t have to spend as much time showing it to them, we can tell them and they understand,” the coach said. “They understand what they’re supposed to do and they can feel what’s supposed to happen.”

Ferris likes where his guys are mentally in terms of knowing what their ultimate goal is this season.

“We know we’re not perfect, we know we have some things to work on and we know anything short of a chance at that state championship is going to be pretty disappointing for us this year.”