The St Mary’s Cardinal volleyball team started the 2026 season with a home match against the Estelline/Hendricks Redhawks on Tuesday, August 25th. The Redhawks won an exciting five-set match by scores of 18-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21, and 15-12.
The Redhawks started the match with an early 3-1 run in the first set. The Cardinals then went on a 4-0 run to take a 5-3 lead which would keep them in front the rest of the first set. St Mary’s extended their lead to 14-10. The Redhawks got within a point, 19-18, but St Mary’s finished on a 6-0 run for a 25-19 win. Estelline/Hendricks started the second set with a 3-0 run. The Cardinals tied the score 4-4 and then went ahead 8-6. They extended the lead to 12-9. St Mary’s kept a three-point advantage at scores of 15-12 and 17-14. The Redhawks tied the scored 18-18. The set was tied again 21-21 and 22-22. The Redhawks finished the set on a 3-0 run for a 25-22 win.
The third set started with a 3-3 tie. Estelline/Hendricks took a one-point lead, 7-6. They continued to lead by one at 10-9. St Mary’s went on a 5-3 run to go in front 14-12. The Redhawks tied the score 17-17, but the Cardinals went on a 4-2 run to go back in front 21-19. Estelline/Hendricks got within a point, 22-21, but St Mary’s finished on a 3-1 run and took the third set 25-22 for a 2-1 match lead. The early portion of the fourth set went back and forth. The two teams were tied 4-4, 6-6, and 8-8. The Redhawks went on a small 3-0 run to take an 11-8 lead, and that run was enough. Estelline/Hendricks pushed the lead to 18-13 and 20-15. The Cardinals made the score 22-19, but the Redhawks tied the match with a 25-22 win.
In the fifth and final set, the two teams battled tough. After a 3-3 tie, a big block up front gave the Cardinals a slim 4-3 lead. The set went back and forth to an 8-8 and 9-9 tie. Estelline/Hendricks scored the next two points to go in front 11-9. They stayed in front at scores of 12-10 and 13-11 before winning the set, and match, 15-12.
