“I was looking at our record, and I was like, look — we can come out of this with a winning season, or we can come out of this with a losing season,” Big Blue first-year coach Veda Reister said. “Mason’s going to be tough to beat on Thursday — that’s our Volley for the Cure game. So I knew that this was a must-win for us if we wanted to have a winning record.”
The Big Blue (9-8) rose to the challenge, showing the same resilience that has defined their late-season push. They’ve won three straight heading into their home bout against Greater Miami Conference leader Mason on Thursday. Hamilton wraps up the regular season at Princeton next Tuesday.
HHS has made a habit of thriving in long matches — improving to 3-0 in five-set contests — according to Reister.
And under Reister’s leadership this season, Hamilton beat Fairfield for the first time since 2005 and Lakota East for the first time in school history.
“They’ve come out and they’ve brought it,” Reister said. “I’m so proud of these girls.”
Cincinnati Christian (10-9) had a night that served as an invaluable test of toughness against a Division I opponent — one that Cougars coach Carly Arington believes will pay dividends during the postseason.
“They definitely showed the will to win,” Arington said. “We came back from being down 10–3, and it was 15–15 at one point (in the fifth set). So just trying to continue to get our girls accustomed to that pressure and for us to use it as preparation for the postseason.”
Though Hamilton ultimately closed it out, the Cougars’ determination stood out. They rallied through early deficits, matched Hamilton’s energy and forced the Big Blue to earn every point.
Arington said she was proud of her team’s ability to compete through tense moments and keep the match alive.
Reister, on the flip side, emphasized mental focus as the foundation for Hamilton’s recent success.
“They have to have that next-point mentality,” Reister said. “Because we are a team that really struggles to pick back up. We let one bad point turn into five all the time. And that’s what we’ve been trying to work on through the whole season — don’t let one turn into five.”
That message has become a mantra for Hamilton, especially as postseason pressure mounts.
“Every time they got the ball, I said, ‘Side out one. Side out one. One point,’” Reister said. “That’s what we need to do moving forward. Again, it’s just a next-point mentality.”
Veteran leadership has helped drive that growth for the Big Blue. Reister credited senior Kennedy Navey, the team’s leader in kills, for setting the tone with both her play and presence.
“She’s a leader on the court,” Reister said of Navey. “She talks to everybody, she knows exactly where the spots are. She always has an agenda — when she gets the ball in her hands, she knows where the ball is going, and she knows it’s a spot that’s going to be open.”
Reister also praised senior Emili Schappacher for her on-court composure and intelligence.
“Emili has the highest volleyball IQ,” Reister said. “You can tell every time the ball’s coming over, she’s got a plan before she even touches it.”
Arington — in her sixth season at the CCS helm — said she’s watched her team steadily grow in both chemistry and culture.
“I think really just finalizing what our team mentality is, what our team culture is, and capitalizing on our strengths — being able to put it all together,” Arington said.
Personally, it’s been a whirlwind season for Arington — who recently took two weeks away from the court to care for her newborn boy and spend time with her family.
Cincinnati Christian wraps up the regular season with against Summit Country Day on Thursday and Batavia on Saturday — both at home.
“It’s gone by so fast — having a baby,” Arington said with a laugh. “But we’ve got six seniors, and they’re all having fun with it. We’re still just trying to get better every day. We continue to battle, and that’s exactly the kind of energy we need to take into the postseason.”
About the Author