Mount St. Joe caps undefeated season with second straight MIAA volleyball title

by Derek Toney

A year ago, Mount St. Joseph volleyball ended its championship drought.

Saturday evening, the Gaels had their finest moment. Mount St. Joseph won its second consecutive MIAA title with a straight set decision over John Carroll at Stevenson University.

The Gaels’ 25-15, 27-25, 25-18 sweep capped a 20-0 season for the Southwest Baltimore school. Junior outside hitter Roger Frederickson had 15 kills and 38 assists for Mount St. Joseph.

The Gaels grinded through the final two sets to complete perfection. The win was Mount St. Joseph’s 38th in a row, dating back to last season.

For longtime Gaels coach Sam Bianco, it was excitement and relief.

“If I’m being honest, I’m glad this season is over. Mount St. Joe went from a team that was battling to get into the playoffs seven, eight years ago to a team that’s been to the top,” said Bianco, a 2001 Mount St. Joseph grad who took the reins in 2006. “I’m so proud of our coaches, our players, everybody that’s been part of our program. These guys worked so hard to get better everyday.”

After seven straight postseason appearances, including regular season titles in 2019 and 2020, the Gaels finally kicked down the proverbial championship door last year with a come-from-behind five-set victory over Loyola Blakefield for their first title since 2006. 

With seven returning letterwinners including six seniors, anything less than a championship repeat this season would’ve been a major disappointment. 

The Gaels said going undefeated through the MIAA gauntlet was the farthest thing from their minds back in August.

“We realized halfway through the season we could do this,” said senior opposite hitter Gregor Lesho. “Hey, 20-0, couldn’t ask for a better season.”

“We had a tough game against Gilman…that’s when we realized there were a lot of challenges and we definitely could lose,” said senior Gabe McWhite. “We had to take it to the next step.”

The Gaels survived a five-set thriller at Gilman in late September, followed by a four-set decision against Archbishop Spalding. Mount St. Joseph didn’t drop another set the remainder of the regular season (eight games). 

After sweeping Gilman in the semifinals, the Gaels were ready to put an exclamation point on their dream season Saturday. With White doing a flip as he’s done all season right before the pre-match huddle, Mount St. Joseph raced out to a 14-4 advantage in the first set.

John Carroll (16-6), seeking its first championship, responded in the second set. The Patriots led 9-4 after Ryan Mosier’s block kill, forcing Mount St. Joseph to call a timeout.

The Gaels responded with a 16-5 run, capped by a Lesho kill, for a 20-14 lead. But John Carroll didn’t relent, pulling even at 24, thanks to a Mount St. Joseph hitting error.

The Patriots were on the verge of ending Mount St. Joseph’s run of nine straight sweeps, serving for the second set with a 25-24 lead, but Aidan Chairs’ kill got the Gaels even. Mount St. Joseph clinched the set as junior Jude Ross’ serve landed just inside the back corner for an ace.

“We talked about trusting our game, trusting our strategy for tonight,” said Bianco. “We made a 9-3 run out the time out and flipped the score, that’s something this team hasn’t had to do a whole lot this season.”

The Gaels quickly wiped out a 3-0 John Carroll start in the third set with seven straight points and built a 15-7 advantage. The Patriots chipped away, tying the match at 18, but Chairs’ kill started the Gaels’ final close.

When John Carroll’s return landed into the net for the clincher, Mount St. Joseph had attained perfection. Chairs, a middle blocker, finished with eight kills and 16 assists, Lesho had seven kills and 13 assists and McWhite, an opposite hitter, added 16 assists.

John Carroll first-year coach Jordan Smith was proud of how his team responded after the first set Saturday.

“This is a team that never looked up at the scoreboard, they just played hard and tough,” said Smith. “It didn’t matter the score or who was on the opposite side, we were going to fight.”

The Gaels are again the last team standing in MIAA volleyball. The Irvington school, which dropped only three sets this fall, is 39-1 over the last two seasons. 

Bianco said Mount St. Joseph’s climb started in 2017, reaching the MIAA title game.

“Those guys from seven, eight years ago, they really began this run,” said Bianco, who credited Matt and Hannah Schmidt for building the foundation on the Gaels’ junior varsity. “We wanted to establish a culture that was rooted in our mission as a school. That’s the most important thing to us, we’re building men. It’s more than volleyball, it’s about life.”

“It’s so surreal…just being a part of a team, whether I played or not, it’s an incredible feeling,” said Lesho, who played his final game along with Chairs, McWhite, Greg Baehr, Justin Leach and Robby Mannino. “I’ve been supported by all my teammates, all my coaches. It’s been a wild ride and I’m glad it ended this way.”