Vicenza’s Ben Morton hits the ball right into a block set by Black Forest Academy’s Uriah Trusty, left, and Nathan Dowdy on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
VICENZA, Italy — The DODEA-Europe Division II boys and girls volleyball championships will be played on neutral courts.
Black Forest Academy effectively prevented the host Vicenza Cougars from advancing to next weekend’s season-ending event in consecutive matches Saturday at one of the two D-II qualifying tournaments.
The Falcon boys swept the Cougars 25-16, 25-23, 25-18 to open the day’s action and sent themselves and Aviano into the finals in the process. The two teams with the most victories after round-robin play in 10 DODEA-Europe girls and boys tournaments advanced to five final-four events Nov. 7-8.
BFA’s girls followed their male counterparts on the court and didn’t quite match their success by only taking two of three sets from Vicenza, 25-16, 23-25, 25-17. But they won by enough points to propel themselves and the Saints onward.
Aviano had to sweep Marymount in the last girls’ match of the day to ensure there was a three-way tie between themselves, the Falcons and the Cougars. Vicenza then lost out on point differential between matches the three teams played.
Priscilla Sivonen played a prominent role in BFA’s two set wins. She was especially dominant in the pivotal third set, scoring nine straight times from the service line — including four aces — while turning a 6-6 tie into a 15-6 advantage.
The junior, whose two older brothers won DODEA-Europe boys titles, said she didn’t lack for motivation. Her team lost to Vicenza in last year’s D-II finals.
Black Forest Academy’s Lydia Moore manages to get the ball past the block of Vicenza’s Alexandra Nelson on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy’s Priscilla Sivonen sends the ball over the net Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza’s Natalia Lopez bumps the ball Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy’s Priscilla Sivonen bumps the ball Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualification tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza’s Alessandra Macy tries to beat a Black Forest Academy wall of Olivia, Wilson, left, and Lydia Moore on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza’s Gracie Perry tries to get the ball past Black Forest Academy’s Lydia Moore on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Marymount setter Jamin Casaccia sends the ball toward a teammate Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Marymount’s Sophie Colace bumps the ball Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano’s Addison Krajicek jumps to spike a ball while teammate Aubrey Cannon looks on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano’s Lana Seale bumps the ball while teammates signal a game point Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Getting to play the Cougars again “has been a part of the whole season,” she said. “We’ve worked really hard and it paid off today.”
Known mainly for her dominant kills at the net, Sivonen said she’s more than aware that a strong serve can be just as effective as a hard hit.
“I try to get the ball over the net, but I also want to put it in a certain place to get into the other team’s heads,” she said.
The Saints, who took two of three from the Falcons on Friday and lost two of three to the Cougars, substituted liberally against the Royals and still swept.
Charlee Stoner had kills to end both the first and third sets.
The freshman had never played the sport until starting to play with an Italian club team three years ago. Her older brother Nash, who played for the Saints basketball team a year ago, also plays in Italian leagues.
Charlee Stoner said she doesn’t mind being the second option behind Addison Krajicek, one of the most dominant hitters in DODEA-Europe.
“I think she should be No. 1,” she said. “She’s a senior and this is my first year playing in high school.”
Aviano was in a similar tiebreaker at last year’s D-II championships and came out on the short end and didn’t qualify for the semifinals.
BFA and Aviano will take on the American Overseas School of Rome and Rota in next week’s championships. The Falcons from Rome won 10 of the 12 sets they played at the qualifying tournament in Naples on Friday and Saturday. That included two of three sets Saturday against the Admirals, who were 9-3 over the two-day span.
Vicenza’s Raul Carrillo gets to the ball first and hits it over the net Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza’s Baedyn Morehouse and Black Forest Academy’s Jonas Witherall battle at the net Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy setter Malachi Wood Pineda tosses the ball up in the air Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy’s Isaiah Woodard bumps the ball Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy’s Isaiah Woodard tries to get the ball past Vicenza’s Raul Carrillo on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano’s Micah Guerrero tries to get the ball past the block of Black Forest Academy’s Jonas Witherall on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at a DODEA-Europe volleyball qualifying tournament in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Boys
The Saints turned into Falcons fans when they figured out early in the BFA-Vicenza match that a Falcons sweep would ensure them a place in the finals.
The Cougars fell victim to long runs in the first and third sets, dropping the final two points in the second set in between. BFA scored six straight to turn a 5-5 tie in the opening set to an 11-5 advantage. Then eight more in a row to grab a 23-10 lead before closing it out. The Falcons turned an 8-8 tie into a 13-8 advantage in the final set before the teams essentially traded points the rest of the way.
Both teams had already qualified when BFA and Aviano met in the last match of the day. The Saints narrowly won a competitive contest 25-21, 20-25, 25-23.
BFA and Aviano will take on Bahrain and Naples next weekend.
Bahrain won nine of 12 sets in the qualifying tournament in Naples, including two of three from the Wildcats on Saturday. Naples won eight of its 12 matches.
