A thunderous match-winning spike from Bishop O’Connell senior Jocelyn Pye was the exclamation point on an incredible comeback to defeat the Academy of the Holy Cross in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) championship game on Nov. 3 at Dufour Center at Catholic University. Down 11 points earlier in the fourth set, the Knights roared back to win the match 27-25, 21-25, 25-11, 27-25.
Behind the leadership of Coach Mehdi El Alaoui, the team never wavered in their confidence and substitutes were made to help inspire the comeback. Phenomenal teamwork and attacking play led by sophomore Macie Murray helped bring the Knights back into the fourth set, while Pye (Johns Hopkins commit) delivered the title-winning play.
“After graduating a large group of seniors last year, we knew this season would require a different approach,” Coach Medhi said. “Our new players needed to adapt to our training and build strong bonds as a team. As the season progressed, their hard work paid off; they learned how to compete and win. The team’s resilience shone in the semifinal against St. John’s and in the championship match against Holy Cross. In both games, we faced significant deficits but battled back to win. This team has shown incredible belief in each other and an unwavering commitment to play until the final whistle.”
On Nov. 9 at the Steward School in Richmond, Va., O'Connell bested state rival Flint Hill 22-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 15-6 in five sets to win the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Division 1 state title.
The Knights capped off an incredible season with a 28-4 record.
