MOUNT VERNON — It didn’t end the way they wanted it to. But the book on the Mount Vernon boys volleyball team’s 2011 season closed with a celebration of the team’s accomplishments.
Players, friends and family members gathered at the Mount Vernon High School cafeteria on Monday to pay tribute to the 2011 East Region runner-up.
The Jackets lost on Saturday, 16-25 22-25 17-25, to Hilliard Davidson, keeping them out of the state tournament for the first time in three seasons. They also lost to Hilliard Bradley on Senior Night, marking their first OCC loss in five years.
“We struggled a little but towards the end,” senior Steve Barcus said. “(Sometimes) we didn’t play well at all. I think, over the whole season, we did really well, considering no one expected us to do as well as we did.”
Despite those missteps, there was plenty to celebrate.
Mount Vernon claimed its fifth straight OCC title. It defeated Cincinnati Elder, a perennial powerhouse and frequent No. 1 team, for the first time. It also featured the East Region’s Most Valuable Player (Chris Omahan) as well as a number of team record-breaking performances.
Omahan had 28 kills in one match, shattering the old record of 22. He had 398 this season, besting the old record by 157.
Barcus, who told the News at the start of the year that he “sets the ball,” did so — to a record preformance. His 790 assists on the year shattered the old record of 628, set back in 2004.
