State Tournament recap
Division IV
Sidney Lehman Catholic won its second state title Saturday with a 25-15, 25-9, 25-14 win over Tuscarawas Central Catholic. The Cavaliers shut down Central’s offense, holding middle hitter Millie Patchan to just five kills. Patchan spiked 40 kills in the Saints semifinal 25-23, 25-18,23-25, 27-29, 18-16 win over Dalton on Thursday. Lehman held Central Catholic to 14 total kills by block touching many of the Saints spikes and digging what got through.
Junior outside Morgan Schmitmeyer paced Lehman with 17 kills while Jessica Thobe added 13 kills and 17 digs. Freshman libero Erica Paulus led the defense with 20 digs.
Lehman also won state in 2005 and was making its seventh final four appearance. Central Catholic reached state for the first time in 2009, and was making it first ever title match appearance.
Lehman beat Toledo Christian to reach the final, but to get to state they had to slip past third ranked Fort Loramie in five and upend top ranked Marion Local 25-23, 25-21, 25-20
Division III
Middletown Bishop Fenwick won the first state volleyball title in school history with a 25-19, 20-25, 27-25, 25-16 win over Gilmour Academy in a match that lasted 1:47. Gilmour led most of game three and was up 23-19 and 24-22, but Fenwick pulled it out. The Falcons led all the way in game four. Alyssa Beck spiked 23 kills for Fenwick, while Brittany Link paced the Lancers with 17kills, 17 assists and 17 digs.
It was an emotional win for Coach Yoon Ha, who took over the program four years ago and found a very talented group of freshmen in need of discipline and being sold on his system of coaching. The Falcons just missed making the title match last year, losing to state champ Huron in five.
Fenwick reached the final with a hard fought 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 25-20 win over Rockford Parkway in a contest between teams from two of Ohio’s premier volleyball conferences. Fenwick won the Girls Greater Cincinnati League Grey North title while Parkway tied for fifth at 5-4 in the Midwest Athletic Conference, whose members include Marion Local, St. Henry and Versailles.
Gilmour Academy stopped undefeated top ranked Tuscarawas Valley 25-16, 25-15, 25-21 in their semifinal, led by Link with 20 kills.
Division II
Mentor Lake Catholic also won their first ever state title with a 25-18, 22-25, 26-24, 25-23 win over Sunbury Big Walnut, which was trying to become the first Central District team since St. Francis DeSales in 1982 to win a Division II/Class AA title. The Golden Eagles came so close! They led 12-9 in game one before giving up a ten point run. They led 24-22 in game three, and game four was 22-all.
With six hitters having at least five kills Lake Catholic was led by freshman! Abby Detering who spiked 11. Junior Bridget Wilhelm had 10. Juniors Samantha Ebright and Emma Swysgood paced Big Walnut with 12 and 11 kills, respectively.
Detering ended a very long volley and the match with a cross-court smash that was dug three times and into the net.
Second ranked Lake Catholic advanced with a nerve wracking 19-25, 16-25, 25-13, 25-19, 15-11 win over Archbishop Alter. After game two, the Eagles switched from a 6-2 to a 5-1. Alter outside Megan Courtney led both teams with 25 kills. Last year Lake Catholic trailed top ranked Logan Elm in the semifinal two games to none and won, then led Padua Franciscan two to nothing in the final and lost.
Number five Big Walnut knocked off third ranked Mansfield Madison 25-23, 25-13, 25-12 in their semifinal, keeping the Rams out of system with block touches.
Division I
Toledo St. Ursula won its second state title with a 15-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-18 win over Dublin Coffman. Like Big Walnut, Coffman came close to becoming the first team from Central to win a big school crown since Reynoldsburg in 1988.
St. Ursula used a 9-1 run in game two to go up 21-15. Erin Williams was on fire for St. Ursula, and led their attack with 15 kills. Despite being down 24-18 to the powerhouse offensive machine that is St. Ursula, Coffman fought to a bitter but memorable ending that saw them flying out of bounds and throwing themselves on the floor to keep balls in play that were gone. St. Ursula finally won the point and with it the match, but Coach Mary Anne Souder later said “That last play shows the heart of our team”.
In a rare statistical anomaly, Coffman had the higher attack percentage, .239 to .193, and they out blocked the Arrows9.5 to 4.0. But the telltale stat was service aces, which St. Ursula led 10-3. The Arrows had four aces in their 9-1 game two rally, and they jumped out 4-0 in game four scoring twice on kills of serve receive overpasses and once on an ace.
The title match was no match for Friday’s two hour and two minute marathon in which Coffman finally beat Ursuline Academy 28-26, 20-25, 22-25, 25-17, 17-15. The Shamrocks had lost two previous four-game matches to Ursuline, one earlier this season and the other in last year’s state championship. The two teams combined for 256 digs, and battled though intense points that required from five to ten volleys.
St. Ursula downed Brecksville in the other semifinal 25-20, 25-13, 25-13. The unranked Bees hail from the Southwestern Conference, which is also home to Amherst Steele, whom St. Ursula ousted at regional, and Olmsted Falls.
Sidney Lehman Catholic won its second state title Saturday with a 25-15, 25-9, 25-14 win over Tuscarawas Central Catholic. The Cavaliers shut down Central’s offense, holding middle hitter Millie Patchan to just five kills. Patchan spiked 40 kills in the Saints semifinal 25-23, 25-18,23-25, 27-29, 18-16 win over Dalton on Thursday. Lehman held Central Catholic to 14 total kills by block touching many of the Saints spikes and digging what got through.
Junior outside Morgan Schmitmeyer paced Lehman with 17 kills while Jessica Thobe added 13 kills and 17 digs. Freshman libero Erica Paulus led the defense with 20 digs.
Lehman also won state in 2005 and was making its seventh final four appearance. Central Catholic reached state for the first time in 2009, and was making it first ever title match appearance.
Lehman beat Toledo Christian to reach the final, but to get to state they had to slip past third ranked Fort Loramie in five and upend top ranked Marion Local 25-23, 25-21, 25-20
Division III
Middletown Bishop Fenwick won the first state volleyball title in school history with a 25-19, 20-25, 27-25, 25-16 win over Gilmour Academy in a match that lasted 1:47. Gilmour led most of game three and was up 23-19 and 24-22, but Fenwick pulled it out. The Falcons led all the way in game four. Alyssa Beck spiked 23 kills for Fenwick, while Brittany Link paced the Lancers with 17kills, 17 assists and 17 digs.
It was an emotional win for Coach Yoon Ha, who took over the program four years ago and found a very talented group of freshmen in need of discipline and being sold on his system of coaching. The Falcons just missed making the title match last year, losing to state champ Huron in five.
Fenwick reached the final with a hard fought 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 25-20 win over Rockford Parkway in a contest between teams from two of Ohio’s premier volleyball conferences. Fenwick won the Girls Greater Cincinnati League Grey North title while Parkway tied for fifth at 5-4 in the Midwest Athletic Conference, whose members include Marion Local, St. Henry and Versailles.
Gilmour Academy stopped undefeated top ranked Tuscarawas Valley 25-16, 25-15, 25-21 in their semifinal, led by Link with 20 kills.
Division II
Mentor Lake Catholic also won their first ever state title with a 25-18, 22-25, 26-24, 25-23 win over Sunbury Big Walnut, which was trying to become the first Central District team since St. Francis DeSales in 1982 to win a Division II/Class AA title. The Golden Eagles came so close! They led 12-9 in game one before giving up a ten point run. They led 24-22 in game three, and game four was 22-all.
With six hitters having at least five kills Lake Catholic was led by freshman! Abby Detering who spiked 11. Junior Bridget Wilhelm had 10. Juniors Samantha Ebright and Emma Swysgood paced Big Walnut with 12 and 11 kills, respectively.
Detering ended a very long volley and the match with a cross-court smash that was dug three times and into the net.
Second ranked Lake Catholic advanced with a nerve wracking 19-25, 16-25, 25-13, 25-19, 15-11 win over Archbishop Alter. After game two, the Eagles switched from a 6-2 to a 5-1. Alter outside Megan Courtney led both teams with 25 kills. Last year Lake Catholic trailed top ranked Logan Elm in the semifinal two games to none and won, then led Padua Franciscan two to nothing in the final and lost.
Number five Big Walnut knocked off third ranked Mansfield Madison 25-23, 25-13, 25-12 in their semifinal, keeping the Rams out of system with block touches.
Division I
Toledo St. Ursula won its second state title with a 15-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-18 win over Dublin Coffman. Like Big Walnut, Coffman came close to becoming the first team from Central to win a big school crown since Reynoldsburg in 1988.
St. Ursula used a 9-1 run in game two to go up 21-15. Erin Williams was on fire for St. Ursula, and led their attack with 15 kills. Despite being down 24-18 to the powerhouse offensive machine that is St. Ursula, Coffman fought to a bitter but memorable ending that saw them flying out of bounds and throwing themselves on the floor to keep balls in play that were gone. St. Ursula finally won the point and with it the match, but Coach Mary Anne Souder later said “That last play shows the heart of our team”.
In a rare statistical anomaly, Coffman had the higher attack percentage, .239 to .193, and they out blocked the Arrows9.5 to 4.0. But the telltale stat was service aces, which St. Ursula led 10-3. The Arrows had four aces in their 9-1 game two rally, and they jumped out 4-0 in game four scoring twice on kills of serve receive overpasses and once on an ace.
The title match was no match for Friday’s two hour and two minute marathon in which Coffman finally beat Ursuline Academy 28-26, 20-25, 22-25, 25-17, 17-15. The Shamrocks had lost two previous four-game matches to Ursuline, one earlier this season and the other in last year’s state championship. The two teams combined for 256 digs, and battled though intense points that required from five to ten volleys.
St. Ursula downed Brecksville in the other semifinal 25-20, 25-13, 25-13. The unranked Bees hail from the Southwestern Conference, which is also home to Amherst Steele, whom St. Ursula ousted at regional, and Olmsted Falls.
posted by ohiohsvbfan at 9:35 PM
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