SAN FRANCISCO - The nation's oldest Catholic School rivalry had a surprise announcement earlier this year. St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral added two new games to their storied Bruce-Mahoney rivalry: girls volleyball and girls basketball.
“I’m really happy it’s part of this amazing tradition that already exists - it really brings the community together," said Sacred Heart Cathedral head coach Margi Beima. "It helps make us care about female athletics the same way we do for the boys."
The first installment of a girls Bruce-Mahoney game took place Wednesday in front of 2,000 fans, with the St. Ignatius girls volleyball team prevailing in straight sets, 25-20, 25-14, 25-23, over Sacred Heart Cathedral.
“It’s an honor, it’s a privilege and we were really excited and blessed coming into this game,” SI head coach Jen Curtin said. “We wanted to set the tone from the start, go out there and play our game."
The 'Cats showed no nerves early on, jumping out to a 15-6 lead within minutes, forcing the Irish to call timeout. The early charge was led by outside hitter Skye Smolinski, who led the team with 12 kills and added seven digs.
“We were outmatched a little today, but we’re a tough team. I told them to approach every single point as its own," said Beima. "Just go out there and fight point after point."
Although the Wildcats swept the match 3-0, they were pushed hard all night by the Fightin' Irish. Following the timeout, the Irish fought back, winning six of the next seven points. They brought the deficit down to just two, 19-17, before surrendering the first set 25-20. The Irish comeback was led by outside hitters Sarah Caulder and Kate Lau, who combined for 29 points.
“Before the third set, I just told them to go out and enjoy themselves," Beima said. "They rose to the occasion and played their hearts out, and for that I’m very proud of them."
After losing their stride in the second set, the Irish gave the Wildcats a scare in the third, jumping ahead early 8-3 courtesy of freshman middle blocker Emma Weaver. The Irish stole the momentum, stunning the Wildcats, forcing Curtin to take just her timeout of the game.
“We need to be cool, calm and collected. We got a little frazzled, we felt we needed to do things out of the norm," said Curtin. "We had to tell them to go back to basics mode to stop the runs."
Led by junior Emma Burns, who recorded a game-high five blocks as well as seven kills, the Wildcats were able to go back to basics, rallying back from the deficit to tie the set at 10-10. The 'Cats had to use sheer grit from then on, as the Irish matched them point for point. SI fought its way to a 24-23 lead, where the Cats were able to end the game to cap off the victory.
“Tonight was an enormous success for both teams. Both played super hard, the crowds were totally into it," Beima said. "With the support shown for both teams it was a phenomenal game.”
“We’re really blessed, from a basically cancelled season to having the opportunity to play in a Bruce-Mahoney, it's an honor,” added Curtin.
The all-new Bruce-Mahoney was a smashing success in the first leg of the groundbreaking 2021-22 edition, a major success for women's sports.
The Bruce Mahoney trophy will continue on Friday at Kezar Stadium, with a highly anticipated football clash between the two schools.
