Notre Dame Gets Even With Crespi : Prep volleyball: Knights avenge loss to pull into tie with Celts.

The Notre Dame High boys’ volleyball team hustled past visiting Crespi, 15-9, 15-2, 13-15, 15-13, Tuesday night to move into a tie for the Mission League lead with the Celts.

“We knew we had to win to even share the (league) title,” Notre Dame outside hitter Morgan Hay said. “We came in with an all-out attitude.”

Crespi (6-3, 6-1 in league play) had beaten Notre Dame (8-1, 6-1) in four games last month at home, but this time the Knights got the jump on the Celts because of Hay’s jump serve. Hay pierced Crespi’s defense for nine aces and 17 kills.

With the Knights leading, 12-9, in the first game, Hay scored on an ace and set up kills for Jimmy Swerkes (20 kills) and Tom Stillwell (15 kills, five blocks) to close it out. Hay then ran off nine consecutive service points, four on aces, in the second game to help Notre Dame breeze.

The Knights, ranked third in the Southern Section 3-A Division, blew a 7-0 lead in the third game, allowing the Celts to get back in the match. But Hay sparked Notre Dame again in the fourth game, helping the Knights turn a 3-1 deficit into a 6-3 lead. Crespi tied the score, 10-10, before a block by Stillwell, three service points by Hay and a Celt hitting error gave 10th-ranked Notre Dame the match.