The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Bulldogs on tear heading into regional
Olmsted Falls has won 13 in a row
The Olmsted Falls volleyball team has won 13 matches in a row with Sylvania Northview on tap in a regional semifinal. Rob DiFranco looks at the Bulldogs’ surge at the end of the season.
The last time the Olmsted Falls volleyball team advanced past the district round, it ran the table, winning the 2008 Division I state championship.
The 2020 version of the Bulldogs are hoping their hot streak continues through the four matches they’d need to win for a second state title.
Since a Sept. 17 loss to Southwestern Conference Champion Avon, Olmsted Falls has rattled off 13 straight victories on their way to the regional semifinals. During that 13-game streak the Bulldogs have dropped just four sets, and have wins over state ranked Magnificat and conference foes Amherst and Avon.
“Ever since the second half of our season started, we’ve been on a roll and at our strongest point that we ever have been,” senior setter Emma O’Brien said. “Normally teams will hit a point where they think, OK we’re over this,’ but it hasn’t happened with this team. We keep getting better and nobody is ready for this to be over.”
Changes to Olmsted Falls’ offense have made the difference in the second half of the season. After the previously mentioned Sept. 17 loss to the Eagles, head coach Brigid Radigan switched things up to help her team match up against the Avons and Amhersts of the world.
The switch wasn’t easy, but it’s paid off.
“It’s really hard because we’re a senior-laden team. So I have some of these kids for parts of the past three or four seasons. So we didn’t want to do anything that would alter team chemistry,” Radigan said “They had to put a lot of trust in us that this was going to be if they bought into it the best for our team in the long run. They might have been leery at first, but once we started beating those better teams, that it was the right move.”
That senior leadership has been a big factor throughout the 2020 season which started with so much uncertainty.
“It’s been super special. This year hasn’t been like any other because we grew up playing together. I don’t think any senior group has gone through as much as we have together,” senior libero Lindsey LaPinta said. “At the beginning of the season with COVID that was pretty scary and I think everyone kept a super positive mindset.”
Offensively, the Bulldogs have gotten more out of sophomore Kylee Urban and junior Riley Victor, who lead the team in kills. Urban finished the Avon loss with a career high 20 kills and in seven of the 13 wins since then has put up 15 kills.
Victor has gone above nine kills in nine of the Bulldogs’ last 13 games. That includes a career-high 19 in the district final win over Magnificat. Paired with improved play from others, including seniors Bel Faust and Lauren Galaska, the Falls offense has become a dangerous multi-faceted attack.
“Everyone accepted it, knowing it was better for our team,” O’Brien said. “Obviously it’s been working. Our motto has been ‘We over me’ so even with some people not playing as much or not playing at all we know this is for the good of all of us.”
Faust is one of three Bulldogs averaging over 2.5 kills per set with 203 total while Galaska ranks fourth on the team with 144 kills. For Galaska the switch was most definitely worth it.
“I just think it’s really cool that we’re going to be able to put the 20 up on the banner and we’re all going to leave that legacy here. Just the feeling that we’re going to be moving on to regionals is very cool,” Galaska said.
Urban has also added 183 assists, with all but 33 coming after the offensive switch. The sophomore’s ability to set her teammates up alongside, O’Brien (668 assists) has made the Bulldogs attack that much more dangerous.
There’s been more to Olmsted Falls’ success than just the offense however. As is expected with a Radigan Bulldogs team, defense has been the strong suit.
Anchored by LaPinta, Falls has been, as usual, an elite defensive team. LaPinta, a Bowling Green State commit, leads the Bulldogs with 480 digs.
The Bulldogs have five players averaging over two digs per set, LaPinta, O’Brien, Urban, Galaska and senior Allison Milligan. LaPinta and Urban also lead Falls in serve receive, with 590 serves received to just 25 errors between the two.
That Olmsted Falls defense will need to show up against Sylvania Northview in a Division I regional final on Nov. 5. The Wildcats have some big hitters of their own, including Kamryn Hunt who tallied over 400 kills in 2020.
Northview is also a strong defensive opponent with four players recording over 200 digs. It’ll be a strong test for the new Bulldogs offense that has had nearly two months to reach top form.