The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
NDCL, Gilmour coaches won’t let teams look ahead
If Lions, Lancers win state semis, they will meet in D-II state final
It’s there for anyone remotely interested in area high school volleyball.
It’s there jumping off the computer screen or smart phone.
The Division II volleyball bracket is set for the state final four.
On the top half of the bracket is Jonathan Alder vs. NDCL. On the bottom is the state’s No. 1-ranked team Gilmour vs. Tippecanoe.
It’s human nature for fans in these parts to fantasize about a potential NDCL vs. Gilmour D-II state final, and with good reason. The teams are loaded with talent.
Just don’t tell that to the respective coaches for the Lions and Lancers. They are determined to not let their teams look ahead.
That’s because there are obstacles in the way. NDCL plays on Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. in one state semifinal at the tournament’s newest site, Vanadalia Butler High School. The move to a different site was made from the traditional Nutter Center at Wright State because of the novel coronavirus
pandemic.
A few hours later at 1 p.m. on Nov. 13, Gilmour plays in the other state semifinal.
Two days later on Nov. 15, if one or both area teams are in the D-II final, wakeup calls for breakfast will be early as the match begins at 9 a.m.
A potential GilmourNDCL is great fodder for fans and the media, but the coaches insist their teams are well-equipped to not stray from the tasks on Nov. 13.
“The kids on each team all respect each other,” said NDCL coach Tom Ray. “We respect Gilmour. But with the schedule we play, we know we can’t look ahead to anyone. Our team has played in some really big matches, and the kids really take a professional approach every time out.”
It’s the same for Gilmour coach Dan Coughlin, who
said, “Our team has been doing a great job all season keeping their eyes on what’s in front of them and just staying focused.”
That being said, even with Jonathan Alder (22-0) and Tippecanoe (27-0) undefeated, it’s reasonable to think the Lions and Lancers are favorites in the semifinal matches and for good reason.
Gilmour has five players who will play in college at the D-I level, including reigning News-Herald player of the Year Kathryn Randorf, who is already committed to playing at Northwestern as a junior. Randorf was recently named the D-II district player of the year.
The Lancers also boast top talent in seniors Emmy K lika , Jocely n Car ter and Brinn MacLellan, plus others.
At NDCL,
there’s no
shortage of talent either with senior Hanna Bissler and sophomore Caroline Jurevicius. On Nov. 11, Missy Sterkel — a 6-2 middle blocker-outside hitter — signed her national letter of intent with Belmont.
“I think volleyball i n Northeast Ohio has arrived,” said Ray.
According to the NDCL coach, his team’s schedule ranks as the toughest in Ohio in D-II. That regularseason schedule included regional-qualifying teams such as Lake Catholic, Riverside, Olmsted Falls, Canfield and Magnificat, plus state-bound St. Joseph Academy and Padua, the nation’s No. 1-ranked team in D-I.
There’s also been this: NDCL had it s season paused for 18 days in September because of COVID-19 reasons. The Lions played Lake Catholic
on Sept. 3, and didn’t play again until Sept. 22 against Gilmour. It was a match they lost, 3-1, and had just one practice before it.
“It took us about two weeks to get our legs and lungs back,” said Ray. “We’re a team that’s i n great shape. But it’s different when you’re not out there for an actual match. I also think the mental part was toughest part. Not playing, it just takes a toll on you when you want to be out there.”
Despite that loss to Gilmour and three more (to Padua, Olmsted Falls and Magnificat), NDCL (13-5) is on a six-match win streak, including a sweep of Lake Catholic in a D-II regional semifinal and four-set victory over Akron Coventry to secure a spot in the state final four.
“Our last game, that was a total team effort,” said
Ray.
Coughlin feels the same way about his team, which is hoping to make make it to the D-II state final after coming up short in the same spot last season. The Lancers lost to eventual state champion Bishop Fenwick in five sets. That game was at the Nutter Center. This time around, it will be at Vandalia Butler High School, which won’t bother Coughlin’s team.
“We don’t care what package it comes in, we just want to prize,” he said.