Backed by sharp defensive play and lethal scoring runs, Aberdeen Roncalli improved to 7-1 on the season Thursday night.

The Cavaliers put on a dominant display on the way to sweeping Webster 25–10, 25–13, 25–12 in Northeast Conference volleyball action at Roncalli Gym.

Roncalli dictated the tempo from the opening serve.

The Cavaliers made their intent clear immediately in the opening set, storming out to a 16–3 run. Roncalli’s offense fired on all cylinders early, anchored by sharp baseline execution and relentless pressure at the net.

“The girls just keep fighting and they keep that momentum and keep the energy,” said Roncalli coach Leesa Ware said. “It’s just one point after another, and they just have to focus on that particular play for it to just keep building. We like to set small goals. Instead of saying push five or push 10, we’ll say push two and push three, and we know that.”

That incremental mindset paid off as Roncalli snuffed out any early rhythm for the Bearcats. Knowing Webster would bring a tenacious style of play, the Cavaliers remained disciplined and focused on executing their own game plan.

“We’re going to take each match one by one,” Ware said. “We know that Webster is right on our tail, and we knew that they were going to be competitive, scrappy, and that they were going to throw things at us.”

Roncalli maintained control in the second set, utilizing a balanced front-row attack as Jillian Ellwein finished the match with nine kills and Gabby Thomas contributed eight.

Thomas credited setter Elyana Roach for keeping the front line in position to swing aggressively all night.

“She sets me up really well and I think we work together really well,” Thomas said. “She knows where I’m at at all times.”

Feeding that high-powered front line was made easier by Roncalli’s stingy back-row defense, anchored by Cambry Feikert, who tallied 13 digs to keep out-of-system plays alive.

Beyond the major stat line leaders, Ware pointed to defensive contributions from players like Kenzington Basham as the spark that keeps the team’s energy high during key rallies.

“She’s just kind of one of those silent players,” Ware said. “She doesn’t get a lot of digs, but when she does, they’re amazing. Just the excitement and everything when she does, we just come alive.”

Webster showed a spark at the start of the third set, putting together a quick run to test the Cavaliers’ resolve. However, Roncalli’s net play quickly closed the door. The Cavaliers turned up the defensive wall at the tape, shutting down Webster’s primary hitters and transitioning smoothly into transition points to lock up the 25–12 set win and match sweep.

“We’ve been practicing our blocking a lot during practice and our transitioning,” Ware said. “I think our timing on the block was great tonight. I told the girls, it’s kind of one of those things that’s really hard to teach, but once you get it, you got it.”

Thomas echoed that front-row focus while reflecting on how the squad has responded since their tough five-set loss against rival Groton last week.

“I think we just continue to work in practice and forget about the losses and continue to play as a team and remember who we’re playing for as well,” Thomas said. “(Personally) I need to work on closing the block and getting a block set so the back row doesn’t have to get smacked on every time.”

Roncalli will now gear up for a cross-town match at Aberdeen Christian on Monday night.

Webster stats not reported

Serving: Aberdeen Roncalli (Gabby Thomas 2 aces, Grace Cogley 1 ace, Cambry Feickert 1 ace, Jillian Ellwein 1 ace).

Hitting: Aberdeen Roncalli (Elliwein 9 kills, Thomas 8 kills, Cogley 5 kills, Karsyn Davis 3 kills).

Setting: Aberdeen Roncalli (Elyana Roach 23 assists).

Digs: Aberdeen Roncalli (Feickert 13, Cogley 6, Ellwein 4).

Blocks: Aberdeen Roncalli (Thomas 1 solo, Felicity Cogley 1 assist, G. Cogley 1 assist).

Records: Webster 6-6; Aberdeen Roncalli 7-1.