NCL may be Ohio’s best for volleyball

North Coast League volleyball boasts a state champion five years running.

Padua, now members of Division I, won state D-II state titles three of the past five years. Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin claimed back-to-back D-II championships in 2014 and 2015. During the last five years, Lake Catholic and Villa Angela-St. Joseph also advanced to the state level. Add in Beaumont, Walsh Jesuit and the rest of the league table, and the NCL already had a claim to status as Ohio’s premier volleyball conference.

Then Cleveland St. Joseph and Gilmour joined for this school year.

For context, imagine the 73-9 Warriors added Kevin Durant and LeBron James to their roster.

To Lake Catholic senior Ashley Browske, the Cougars’ league schedule resembles the pinnacle of collegiate volleyball play.

“Holy strong,” Browske said. “I mean, every match our coach compared it to the Big Ten. We were talking as if we were a Big Ten school.”

The Bruins are the reining league champion. The past two seasons, Padua ousted Lake Catholic in a D-II state semifinal at Wright State. Now members of D-I, the Bruins are still considered by many as formidable state contenders despite a higher divisional designation.

Padua has won five state titles since 2008. This year, Coach James BeHarry returns all but three of his players from last year’s championship group.

Next to Padua, the NCL added St. Joseph Academy.

The Jaguars qualified for the state semifinals the past two seasons and finished as D-I state runnerup in 2017.

Fellow newcomer Gilmour won the 2015 D-III state championship and has advanced to Wright State in four of the past five seasons. Coach Danny Coughlin looks forward to seeing how the Lancers respond to their first season as members of a conference.

“The league, I think, actually makes us more competitive night-in, nightout,” Coughlin said, “being in the North Coast League versus, ‘Oh, we have this team coming — who really cares?’ ”

Lake Catholic’s made back-to-back trips to Fairborn. The Cougars’ path to a state final could be aided by Padua’s move to D-I via competitive balance measures. Browske leads a Lake Catholic roster filled with experience and talent from last year’s run.

Although Rich Severino’s career ended as the Cougars’ head coach after nearly three decades this spring, Rob Cline brings state experience of his in Severino’s stead. He led Brecksville-Broadview Heights to a final four berth in 2008 and the D-I state title in 2016.

Rival NDCL is only three years removed from claiming back-to-back state championships. Under Coach Tom Ray, the Lions will surely be a factor in the playoffs as a new core develops during the regular season.

In Cleveland Heights, Coach Pat Royer’s steered Beaumont to regional final appearances the past two seasons. His brother, Mark, led VASJ to state appearances in 2013 and 2014.

Those teams only make up half the league. Walsh Jesuit, Trinity, St. Thomas Aquinas, Akron Hoban, Cleveland Central Catholic, Trinity and Warren JFK round out a conference that affords its members no days off. Teams will play their best in matches and still find their opponent to be a few points better.

“Every match it’s a competition,” Browske said, “you never know what’s going to happen because every single team we play is super strong, super talented and so no matter what goes on, we can be super good, but they can be even better. It just depends but man, our conference is good.”

The NCL is so good that, come November, the conference may be home to half of Ohio’s state champions.