Late-season meeting spurred Lake’s state run

The inflection point of Lake Catholic’s season en route to a third straight state berth didn’t occur during a match, or even a practice.

After a short practice on a Saturday in early October, coach Rob Cline told his players the day’s training was technically over. If one of his players needed a ride or had somewhere to be, they were free to go.

But for those who could stay, of which there were many, Cline wasn’t done.

The Cougars spent the next few hours communicating with their coach. Cline, in his first year at Lake Catholic, conveyed his perspective.

“The message was whatever we’re doing is not working,” Cline said. “It’s just not. We’re losing games. We’re not playing well. I just told them flat out, the statistics, we’re not playing well, we’re just not. We have to find out what you guys are willing to do.”

Since then, the Cougars haven’t lost a match. Lake Catholic beat Gilmour and rival NDCL in its final matches of the regular season, then defended its Jefferson District and Stow Regional titles.

The Cougars play Columbus Bishop Hartley in a Division II state semifinal at 2 p.m. Nov. 9 at Wright State’s Nutter Center.

The Cougars made changes to their lineup after they met Oct. 6.

Cline wanted senior Kylie Snyder to play on the right side so Snyder, who has the fastest arm on the team, would have more chances to hit. She moved to her original position at middle hitter, where she’s been more effective — particularly in Lake Catholic’s regional semifinal win over Mantua Crestwood.

Defensively, the Cougars made adjustments to their block based on suggestions from senior libero Mallory Lough and how she liked to play in the back row.

“We pretty much changed what people’s responsibilities were and it just obviously worked,” Lough said. “It was very good to be open about it.”

Cline was hired at Lake Catholic in February to replace Rich Severino after 548 wins and 28 seasons. His first year coaching the Cougars represented a collision of worlds between Cline, who won the 2016 D-I state title at Brecksville-Broadview Heights, and players coached by a legend.

As the postseason neared and Lake Catholic’s record languished at 9-11, the Cougars and their coach worked together to find the best path forward.

“It was more serious and it was open,” senior captain Ashley Browske said. “If anyone had an opinion or a thought, they could talk and discuss it. We figured out what lineup we wanted to use.”

Lake Catholic’s first match after the meeting was a road trip to Gilmour on Oct. 9. Setter Kelsey Whalen was injured during the match, yet the Cougars mustered a 3-2 victory in Gates Mills.

Then, Browske saw her teammates possessed the desire necessary to advance to the state final four for a third straight time.

“We found a way to win in five,” Browske said. “That kind of fight and drive I saw in that, the whole team, I was like we have a chance to turn the page.”

Cline admitted he prefers his teams to play a certain way. But when it came to an adjustment such as moving Snyder back to the middle, he gladly checked his ego if it meant an improvement in his rotation.

“She could fight me or the team could fight me on it and I could be right,” Cline said, “or the season’s over and what did we accomplish?”

So far, Lake Catholic’s achieved to the level expected by a school that sells “Go Lake, Go State” buttons in its spirit shop.

The Cougars’ next task is a state semifinal match against Bishop Hartley, ranked No. 9 in the final state coaches poll. Cline is confident in Lake Catholic, ranked No. 14, headed to Fairborn.

His players are due, in part, to the program’s congregation last month.

“I just told them, it’s kind of like a train,” Cline said Nov. 5. “Super slow at first, getting going, but at this point now, we’re going downhill pretty fast. If somebody gets in the way, they’re going to get ran over.”