MASCOUTAH — Sometimes when you dare to be the first at something, the unexpected throws you a twist.
Such was the case Saturday as Mascoutah High hosted Breese Central in its football stadium in the first outdoor girls volleyball match.
The freshman match went off without a hitch as did the first two sets of the JV match. But as the sun set, condensation started forming on the court.
The JV match was declared a tie as crews feverishly attempted to dry the court. But after a 25-minute delay, the decision was made to move the varsity match into the gym.
“The moisture this morning combined with heat here, it provided just a little too much humidity at the end of the day,†Mascoutah athletic director Scott Battas said. “We practiced out there a couple of weeks ago at the same time and had no issues and we’ll do it again … we’re not going to stop trying. I don’t think you can do special things if you don’t try crazy things.â€
The match went on inside the gym and the teams didn’t disappoint as Central pulled off a 25-18, 31-33, 25-21 victory.
Ava Luebbers had 15 kills and Ella Jackstadt added 10 more for the Cougars (2-0). Avery Boehm had 11 kills and Grace Mak added nine for the Indians (1-1).
“He did everything he could to make this special,†Mascoutah coach Brooke Kloess said of Battas. “And it still was.â€
The match still had a unique, albeit different, vibe.
The vast majority of fans stayed and filled the Mascoutah gym to capacity. Student sections for both schools stood for the entire 1-hour, 22-minute match and were vocal on every point.
“A little bit disappointed, but we still played our hearts out,†Mak, a senior, said. “I think we’re proud of how we played, even though we didn’t get to go outside.â€
Central coach Cathy Kohnen agreed with the decision to move it indoors.
“We’re really honored to be a part of this event,†Kohnen said. “We’re so honored that Mascoutah asked us, and you know, it’s something that we’ve been looking forward to for months. It’s been really exciting just to have this opportunity.â€
Battas was already thinking about improvements for next year before the gym was cleared out.
“Time of the year certainly, we tried to pull it off in August when it’s still pretty humid,†Battas said. “We do run a tournament in September, maybe we replace that tournament with a shootout type situation. But we’re going to do it again in a single game format to try to get it right. We want to do things right and we want to be safe and that’s why we pulled the girls out of there.â€
A grand entrance
The pregame ceremony for the varsity match was still held on the football field.
It started with a military helicopter landing next to the field. Mascoutah alum Megan Lindsay, an all-state volleyball player from the class of 2016 who went on to play at Murray State, emerged from the helicopter and presented the game ball to the Mascoutah players.
The lights then went off and a pregame hype video was played on the stadium’s scoreboard. The Mascoutah players entered the stadium with smoke and fireworks.
“Hats off to Scott,†Kloess said of Battas. “He is passionate. He cares. He’s the best of what he does, and he does everything for these athletes to make this experience a very unique and memorable one for them.â€
Mak said the helicopter was a surprise to the players.
“It was so surreal,†Mak said. “I was just thinking, this is only at Mascoutah because Battas has worked so hard for this, he’s put in a lot of effort, and it was a surprise for all of us. We were standing there, we were like, ‘Wait, there’s a helicopter coming?’ It was so impressive.â€
Game day atmosphere
A group of about 80 Breese Central fans tailgated football-style for several hours before the matches. There were burgers, brats and hot dogs aplenty.
Grant Oster and Logan Hamilton were among the Cougars faithful having fun in the Mascoutah parking lot.
“I knew there was going to be a lot of people out here,†Oster said. “First time in the area that this has happened, so it’s kind of different.â€
Thinking outside of the box
The outdoor game generated around 2,600 fans, according to Battas. It is part of the school’s commitment to creating unique experiences for its student athletes.
It isn’t the first time the school has experimented with a unique change of venue. Mascoutah held wrestling outside, too.
“My number one priority as an athletic director is to give kids an experience in our place that they can’t get anywhere else,†Battas said. “Not everybody gets to play college athletics. I was one of the fortunate ones that was able to do that, and some of the experiences that I have I’ll never forget. So, my idea is, hey, why not try to provide those things to our high school kids? Because a lot of them don’t get that opportunity at the next level, and at the end of the day, we’re in the kid business.â€
Up next
Breese Central: Hosts Nashville at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Cougars have won seven straight against the Hornettes.
Mascoutah: Travels to Mater Dei at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Indians are seeking their first win against the Knights since October 25, 2016.(tncms-asset)05934b26-66d5-11ef-a581-5fd32e3b6cb4[0](/tncms-asset)
Mascoutah vs. Breese Central girls volleyball under the lights
Mascoutah is playing host to Breese Central in a girls volleyball match in its football stadium for what is believed to be the first of its ki…
Mascoutah (left) and Breese Central girls volleyball players stand on the court during the national anthem Saturday. The teams were slated to play on an outdoor court on the Mascoutah High football field, but only the freshmen and junior varsity teams played due to a buildup of condensation, making the court surface slippery and unsafe.