Playing as one helps Dixon beat Rochelle

The Dixon volleyball team has a single word written on the white tape wrapped around their fingers.

“One.”

It is a reminder to play as a team, not individually.

The mantra has led to success as the Duchesses improved to 2-0 after a 25-19, 25-19 win over Rochelle in Thursday night’s home opener at Lancaster Gym.

Leah Carlson had six kills, eight assists and two aces as Dixon had a balanced attack on the stat sheet.

“We’re only focusing on our level of energy and being as one team,” Carlson said. “We write ‘one’ on our finger to represent that we can’t be individuals in the game. It’s not going to work.”

Dixon's Leah Carlson shows her taped finger with the word "one" written on it. It is a motto she and the rest of the volleyball team have emphasized this season. (Drake Lansman)

Rochelle (1-1) led the first set 19-17 and Dixon took timeout. The Duchesses responded with six straight points, including one of two aces from Abby Hicks.

Morgan Hargrave (six kills, eight digs) and Solis Thompson (two blocks) also had two aces as Dixon posted nine as a team.

“Our serving was really good tonight,” Carlson said. “It’s just great to have a bunch of seniors that you’ve been playing with for four years now. It’s a good team dynamic and a good vibe.”

Rochelle stayed within striking distance in the second set, but Dixon never let the Hubs too close down the stretch.

“It was point for point in both matches up until like 16, 17,” Rochelle coach Molly Sly said. “We kind of fell off. They were able to run with it at the end, find their hot hitters. Not to take anything away from them but we kind of gave up in the back row.

“Our serve receive was not where it should have been for the last 10 points.”

Meredith Bruns led Rochelle with three kills and two aces. Emma Metzger and Jillian Bruns also had two aces for the Hubs.

“I think if we can take that away and kind of fight for the finish instead of the first two-thirds of the game,” Sly said, “I think we might have had a different match.”

Dixon was also without its primary libero, Yui Santos, as she was still recovering from bumping her head in the Sterling game.

She will have plenty of time to recover as Dixon now has a week off on the schedule.

“Rayven [Mowery] and Abby [Hicks] stepped in really nicely tonight for Yui’s absence,” Dixon coach Bunyan Cocar said. “I thought the folks who came in were really consistent serving. We just played good team volleyball tonight.”

Cocar said the team’s service game made up for some of the errors.

“That was really nice to see,” he said.

With an experienced group of seniors, Cocar says this year’s team can be special.

“I told them our team has probably the most experienced lineup of anybody,” he said. “We have all seniors pretty much ... I expect them to know how to win games when it’s 20-19. We don’t make mistakes and we focus even more.

“That’s kind of the senior leadership I expect from Morgan, Leah, Izzy [Queckboerner], Presley [Lappin]. All these girls who have been with us since their sophomore year playing varsity. They just know how to win.”

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