Black Forest Academy’s Eden Miller tries to keep the ball in play Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls volleyball championships in Vicenza, Italy. Teammates Alia Lawrence, left, and Eden Dowdy watch. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
VICENZA, Italy – Led by a dominating hitter and server, the Black Forest Academy girls volleyball team didn’t lose a set to reach the DODEA-Europe Division II title game.
But when Priscilla Sivonen collided with teammate Esther Lee at the net late in the first set Saturday and needed help leaving the court, the title seemed a bit more uncertain.
For everyone but the Falcons themselves, it appears.
“Throughout the season, if one player wasn’t there, we just knew we had to play harder,” said Lee, who seemed to always be there to start the BFA attack in a 25-20, 25-19, 25-22 victory over Rota.
BFA never faltered without its best player, winning the first set and playing even with the Admirals in the second set before Sivonen – sporting a heavily taped ankle – returned in the for half a rotation. She then played the entire third set.
Falcons coach Kim McKell wasn’t surprised by her team’s reset.
“We’re a strong team,” she said. “Twelve players practice every day. Not just one or two.
“We try to introduce chaos into practices from time to time during the season. So, when something like this happens … they could have freaked out and panicked, but they didn’t …”
Rota coach Ben Anderson gave credit for that to McKell.
“That’s a sign of a well-coached team,” he said. “Something like that happens and they just stayed focused and carried on.”
Rota's Claire Deisely seemingly tries to scare the ball from coming over the net Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls volleyball championships in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Rota's Jourdan Timmons tries to sneak the ball past Black Forest Academy's Eden Dowdy on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls volleyball championships in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Rota libero Jeanice Desilva seems to capture the ball on her arms Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls volleyball championships in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Rota's Jourdan Timmons looks down on the mere mortals below while getting set to push the ball over the net Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls volleyball championships in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Named the tournament’s outstanding player, Sivonen still had a role in the victory. Down 19-18 in the third set, she scored twice from the service line to give her team the lead. Lee added another service winner a point later.
The Falcons got closer on consecutive kills by Eden Dowdy and Lydia Moore before Sivonen ended the match with a kill from the back row that landed untouched deep in the back corner of the court.
Lee gave credit to the team’s resiliency, partially formed in the early part of the season when it played against several larger DODEA schools in Germany.
“We try not to let giving up any points bring negativity or get us down,” she said. “We just shrug it off and move on.”
Lee and teammate Sierra Tweedy were selected to the all-tournament team along with Rota’s Jourdan Timmons and Amaya Petty, Aviano’s Addison Krajicek and American Overseas School of Rome’s Gloria Olivieri.
The Falcons from Rome beat the Saints 25-19, 17-25, 15-10 for third.
Black Forest Academy libero Esther Lee bumps the ball Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls volleyball championships in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy's Sierra Tweedy tries to get the ball past a block Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls volleyball championships in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy's Priscillla Sivonen finds herself alone at the net Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls volleyball championships in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy's Lydia Moore tips the ball to the side of Rota's Grace Mamikonian to give the Falcons match point Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls volleyball championships in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
