Strong serves carry NDCL past Geneva

After NDCL lost its regularseason finale to Lake Catholic on Oct. 10, Coach Tom Ray planned to give his team a few days off.

Junior Alexis Zienka suggested the Lions play kickball. Her teammates wanted to practice, and they worked on their serves, outof-system passing and service reception.

“I took one for the team,” Zienka said. “I’m like OK, you’re right guys, we need to practice.”

The extra work helped NDCL beat Geneva, 3-0, in a Division II Jefferson District semifinal on Oct. 25. The Lions advance to the district final against rival Lake Catholic on Oct. 28.

NDCL cruised to a 25-11 victory in the first set.

Led by Zienka, the Lions’ accurate serves went directly to each area Ray called from the sidelines to force Geneva out of its offensive system.

“We really zoned in,” Ray said. “We put a ton of pressure on their setter so they weren’t able to get the ball to their big hitters as much, so that helped us quite a bit.”

Geneva regrouped and remained tied with NDCL, 9-9, early in the second set. Seven unanswered points from there helped the Lions notch a 25-17 win.

The Eagles led early in the third set, 10-8, before NDCL tied the score at 12-12. Another 7-0 run spurred the Lions to a 2519 win and secured their trip to a district final match.

After the Lions decisively won the first game, Ray thought his team’s effort eased but was satisfied when NDCL won points in critical sequences.

“I thought they did an excellent job rebounding,” Ray said. “When we hit 15 in every (game) I thought we’re going to get the next five points and we did. That’s where we made that separation.”

The loss concluded an 18-7 season for Geneva. The Eagles posted an 11-3 record in CVC Chagrin play to finish as runnerup to Independence, a Division III state title favorite.

Coach Annah Haeseler said her team’s preseason goal is to play NDCL or Lake Catholic in the postseason. If that happens, it means Geneva advanced to the district level.

“We know at the end we’re hopefully going to play one of these (teams),” Haeseler said. “They’re very skilled. They have everything.”

Geneva’s defeat also caps an era in the program defined by three-year starters Julia Ball, Marley Goff and Alexis Hraga. Goff will play at California University of Pennsylvania, Hraga is headed to Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Ball will also play in college.

Haeseler called the group her go-to players, and hopes their passion for the game will pass to their younger teammates.

“They’re good examples,” Haeseler said. “They have a great work ethic and I think, especially, Lex and Marley and Julia that have played varsity for three-plus years, that’s what the girls aspire to be.”