CHESTERFIELD — Nerinx Hall senior Brooke Heimburger is finally feeling good on the volleyball court — and that means bad news for the Markers’ opponents.
Heimburger, a McKendree recruit, has battled back injuries in recent seasons but is fully healthy now. On Tuesday, she put down 13 kills and three blocks to help lead Nerinx to a 25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-10 win over host Parkway West in a nonconference match.
“It's all I've ever wanted, is just to play volleyball for my high school team,†Heimburger said. “Honestly, like at such a high level, like we did just now, I live for those games.â€
Heimburger formed a potent one-two duo with fellow senior Kate Schaller, who had nine kills and six aces. Maddie Ewing had 21 assists for Nerinx (4-2).
“I love being with Brooke,†Schaller said. “I think we bring a lot of leadership and also bring a lot of skill that can also help everyone else in the front row and back row too.â€
“We work on serving every single practice,†Nerinx coach Ed Naeger said. “We work on hitting seams, hitting sidelines. Our goal is to be in the 90-plus percentile and be super aggressive. And they did a good job of that tonight.â€
Erica Conger put down 17 kills and Katie Byergo had 15 kills for West (0-1). Maddy Bach had 42 assists.
The turning point of the fifth set came off an unusual bounce that went Nerinx’s way.
Down 11-8, West looked to have a kill as the ball appeared to be heading off a Markers’ defender and off the court, but the ball hit the gym ceiling and bounced back in play. An alert Nerinx team was able to keep the point alive and eventually win it on a Longhorns hitting error to take a 12-8 lead.
“Props to them 100%,†West coach Susan Anderson said of Nerinx’s defensive effort. “But it does, you know, make it difficult in a short 15-point game to then, ‘OK, well, we got to do it again.’ â€
A few points later, another West hitting error ended the 2-hour, 6-minute match.
“You could feel the energy coming off the floor and off the bench,†Naeger said. “This group really, really likes each other. We have good energy at practices, and they're starting to learn how to bring it to our matches. And I think if we can carry that on throughout the season, we're going to have a have a good year.â€
Markers rally
Nerinx erased an early deficit with a 5-0 run in the first set. Heimberger put down three straight kills during the run to cut West’s lead to 17-16.
“I think just the energy we brought, I think that really uplifted the team,†Heimburger said. “We played really well together today.â€
Liz Finder put down three straight aces, the last of which trickled off the top to the net, to give the Markers their first lead at 23-21. A West serving error clinched the opener for Nerinx.
Longhorns answer
Byergo made her mark in the second set for West. The Iowa State recruit put down five kills and two blocks to help give the Longhorns a late lead.
A Gabbie Kerber ace gave West a 24-20 lead and a Nerinx hitting error a few points later evened the match at a set apiece.
Nerinx regains control
The Markers led wire-to-wire in the third set. Heimberger and Schaller each put down three kills to help give Nerinx a 2-1 lead.
“We brought a lot of energy in all the sets,†Schaller said. “We just stuck with it.â€
Kerber comes up big
Kerber put down three kills down the stretch in the fourth set and she added a pair of aces to give West a 23-20 lead. Conger followed with a pair of spikes to extend the match to a fifth set.
“We chipped away at a lot of points,†Anderson said. “We were able to climb back and compete in every game, and they didn't slow down or ease up. They kept attacking.â€
Up next
Nerinx Hall: Hosts Villa Duchesne at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The Markers have won five straight matches against the Saints.
Parkway West: Travels to Eureka at 5:45 p.m. Thursday. The Wildcats swept the Longhorns last season.
Nerinx Hall def. Parkway West 25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-10
Read about some of the St. Louis area's top high school girls volleyball players as the season gets under way.
Nerinx Hall's Kate Schaller returns a Parkway West serve during a girls volleyball match on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, at Parkway West High School in Chesterfield, Mo. Gordon Radford | Special to the Post-Dispatch.