Sunday, October 29, 2000
Notre Dame falls in volleyball finals
Assumption, nation's No. 1, wins 6th straight Ky. title
By Ray Schaefer
Enquirer contributor
Saturday was the night Notre Dame's volleyball team hoped to end Louisville Assumption's five-year state championship run.
It didn't work out that way.
Assumption (39-2) won its sixth straight state title, 15-12, 15-3 over Notre Dame at Ryle High School.
Notre Dame coach Kim Gunning said her team fought hard after falling behind 8-1 in the first game, but she couldn't think of anything else her team could have done differently.
“Assumption's just a very strong team,” Gunning said. “It's hard to counter everything they have on that side of the net.”
Assumption achieved a lot: the Rockets defended their No.1 ranking in the Vball.com national poll and won their eighth state title in the last nine years. They have not lost to a Kentucky team since Notre Dame beat them in the 1994 state semifinals.
Assumption coach Ron Kordes said this year's team was his least likely to win a title because only two starters were back from last season. But senior middle blocker Mary Nell Bennett thought otherwise.
“If there's any doubters out there, we're No.1 in the state, No.1 in the nation,” said Bennett, the tournament's most valuable player. “You can't top that.”
Notre Dame (29-5) had some success, too: the Pandas entered this weekend ranked 21st in the Vball.com poll; and they pushed Assumption to three games in a regular-season loss.
For a while Saturday, the Pandas had the answer to Assumption's quickness.
Outside hitter Michelle Davis, one of eight Notre Dame seniors, and junior middle hitter Kelley Potter were the key players. Four of Davis' 10 kills and four of Potter's 12 kills helped Notre Dame take a 12-11 lead.
“We had a real good game, I thought,” Potter said. “We picked each other up.”
Then, Assumption brought the Notre Dame back to earth: Bennett's kill began a 4-0 run to finish the game.
And Notre Dame never was as close again.
Notre Dame senior setter/hitter Kenna Milner played with several Assumption players on a summer team. She didn't begrudge her Louisville teammates' their celebration.
“It's hard, but if I couldn't win, I'd rather have them win,” Milner said.
Boone County loses in semis
Assumption beat Boone County (28-12) 15-10, 15-3 in the semifinals. But Saturday wasn't a total loss for the Rebels: they beat Newport Central Catholic 15-6, 15-9 in the quarterfinals; they reached the semifinals for the first time since 1992; and they gave the Assumption a scare, taking an 8-4 lead in the first game.
“The first game we came out and played hard,” Boone County coach Tracy Schaefer said. “... The second game was all about passing, and we couldn't get it to our setter (junior Chrissy Isaac) to run the offense.”
NewCath
Newport Central Catholic finished the season 23-12 after being beaten by Boone County 15-6, 15-9 in a 9 a.m. quarterfinal match Saturday.
Coach Jenny Mertle's team played the last match of Friday's first round — which meant the players probably didn't get to bed until around midnight.
“We didn't come to play,” Mertle said. “They were still half asleep.”
SATURDAY'S RESULTS
Quarterfinals
At Ryle High School
Louisville Holy Cross d. Owensboro Catholic, 15-2, 15-2
Notre Dame d. Louisville Sacred Heart, 15-12, 15-5
At Gray Middle School
Louisville Assumption d. Louisville Mercy, 15-10, 15-3
Boone County d. Newport Central Catholic, 15-6, 15-9
Semifinals
At Ryle
Assumption d. Boone County, 15-10, 15-3
Notre Dame d. Holy Cross, 15-2, 15-7
Championship
Assumption d. Notre Dame, 15-12, 15-3
All-tournament team: Kim Wetterstroem (NewCath); Leah Ballinger (Campbell County); Jackie Mattingly, (Owensboro Catholic); Katie Beck (Mercy); Katie Hall (Sacred Heart); Sara Hollowell (Boone County); Chrissy Isaac (Boone County; Natalie Atzinger (Lou. Holy Cross); Kara Hellman (Lou. Holy Cross); Kristen Zembrodt (Notre Dame); Kenna Milner (Notre Dame); Jennifer Craven (Assumption); Amanda Cecil (Assumption).
Most valuable player: Mary Nell Bennett Bennett, Assumption.
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