Lions sweep into district final

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin entered the state volleyball tournament hampered by injuries and a seven-match losing streak.

Yet, after a 3-0 win against a 19-win Cortland Lakeview team in a Division II Jefferson District semifinal Oct. 24, the Lions will again play for a district title.

NDCL lost its leader, senior outside hitter Alexis Zienka, for an extended stretch due to a knee injury. Myriad other ailments forced parts of Tom Ray’s rotation to miss stretches.

“We had, like, a little bit of a rough patch,” sophomore setter and hitter Hanna Bissler said. “We had a little bit of a losing streak, but the feeling has totally come back. I feel like we’re jelling again and the whole atmosphere feels so much better than it did right after Lex got hurt.”

NDCL advances to the Jefferson District final Oct. 27 against Lake Catholic.

The Lions withstood a late surge in the first set to beat the Bulldogs, 25-22. Lakeview trailed, 11-10, in the second when kills from Bissler and Melissa Murray helped NDCL build a lead. Bissler put down game point in a 25-18 NDCL victory.

Momentum translated into a 25-14 victory in the third set to complete the Lions’ sweep. The response of a young team to a close first set encouraged Ray.

“I like the fact they were just professional about it,” Ray said. “They weren’t really happy with the close match out of the gates, they were pretty determined to show we can play a little bit better and clean up our side.”

Slowing Lakeview’s powerful hitter, Hayley Lytle, was NDCL’s primary defensive objective. Libero Ella Shubert keyed on Lytle, who entered the match averaging 4.3 kills per set, as the Lions compiled a staunch defensive effort.

“Just read her as fast as I can,” Shubert said of her approach, “try to point out where she’s going to go, see her before she knows herself and she mostly shot line. Our block did a really good job covering everything, the setters played great defense.”

Two-time defending district champion Lake Catholic awaits NDCL in a third installment of the team’s series series. The Lions swept the Cougars in Mentor Sept. 11, then were swept by their rival at home Oct. 11.

“We try to take it like every other game,” Bissler said. “But it is Lake-NDCL.” High school football statistics