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A look at the regional champions

November 5, 2008

By Jim Jicha

Last week’s regional tourney action produced no big surprises as top ranked Cincinnati Ursuline, Lima Central Catholic and Jackson Center all advanced in Divisions I, III and IV, respectively. In Division II, Archbishop Alter upended number one Tipp City Tippecanoe in what shaped up as a toss-up.

Ursuline (27-0) will now have to beat GGCL rival Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame (23-4) a third time in order to advance to the Division I state title match. Mt. Notre Dame is making its fourth straight final four appearance, winning and losing, respectively, in the past two finals against Mother of Mercy.

In their regional final, Ursuline took Olentangy in straight sets. Surprisingly, so also did Mt. Notre Dame to Mother of Mercy, a team they split five game matches with and tied for second in the GGCL.

This year’s results favor Ursuline, but GGCL runner-ups have a history of winning state titles. Mt. Notre Dame has done it three times. And in 2001, Ursuline won the GGCL and beat St. Ursula twice only to fall to the Bulldogs in the State final. The Lions returned the favor the next year.

Ursuline squeaked past Mt. Notre Dame at home in their second meeting 25-16, 25-19, 17-25, 18-25, 18-16, for whatever that’s worth.

Second ranked 27-0 Olmsted Falls downed Magnificat on Saturday for the second time in three weeks, and will face Brecksville-Broadview Hts in the other bracket. The Bulldogs were in Division II when they last went to state in 2000, losing in the semifinal to now Division III Roger Bacon.

Brecksville, which has been to state four times, more recently in 1987, ended Lodi Cloverleaf’s farthest advance into the state tournament in school history, 25-19, 23-25, 30-28, 25-23 on Saturday.

In Division II, Archbishop Alter returns to state for the fourth time after a one-year hiatus. The Knights have won it all in their three previous appearances, and they are favored again after knocking off top ranked Tipp City Tippecanoe 25-18, 25-23, 16-25, 25-22 in the regional semifinal. Alter downed Logan Elm in a three game final, and their 19-8 record is misleading.

The Knights, who are members of the GGCL smaller school division, will face 2007 state runner-up Bishop Hartley (22-5) in the semifinal. Hartley, which ironically nipped then unbeaten Tippecanoe 21-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-19, 16-14 in last year’s state semifinal, defeated Big Walnut for the second time this year last weekend.

Fourth rated Parma Padua Franciscan (24-3) advanced with an impressive 25-15, 25-15, 25-12 regional final win over number-thirteen Mentor Lake Catholic, a team they split regular season matches with. The Bruins beat 19th rated Walsh Jesuit in four in the semifinal. They will face seventh rated Mansfield Madison (26-2), which ousted number-three Wooster Triway and eighteenth rated Celina in their regional. Madison, which starts two freshmen, defeated Wooster twice to end the Generals’ three-year run as undefeated champions of the Ohio Cardinal Conference.

In Division III, top ranked Lima Central Catholic (25-1) survived the tough Liberty-Benton regional, beating Heath in four and then nipping St. Henry 25-23, 25-23, 21-25, 18-25, 15-11 in the final. The Thunderbirds’ only loss this year is to Archbishop Alter.

St. Henry hitting star and University of Louisville recruit Brooke Mattingly broke her wrist early in game one, but the Redskins still came close to pulling off a big upset. The Redskins had won 14 straight going into the match with Lima Central, and had upended Huron in the semifinal.

Lima Central will face Gates Mills Gilmour Academy in the state semifinal. The Lancers once again tripped up West Salem Northwestern in the regional, this time 25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 18-25, 15-13, despite 30 kills by Northwestern hitting star Kara Koch, and 32 more by teammate Kristen Warner.

Mary Kramer paced Gilmour with 21 kills and six service aces, and she also had five blocks and numerous touches, which slowed Koch down just enough. Maddie Mawby led the defense with 25 digs and added 17 kills, and Raysa Sylvester, Jess Hamer and setter Kelsey Rodgers combined for another 50 digs. Rodgers also had 51 assists.

Last year Gilmour nipped Northwestern in the regional semifinal 25-22, 22-25, 24-26, 25-19, 15-12. Koch’s total of 37 kills in that match was five off the state record. Koch ended her career with a state record total of 2196 kills, while Warner’s final tally was 1336.

Gilmour, whose only loss is to Wooster, fell to Albany Alexander in a five-game state semifinal last year.

Speaking of Alexander, the 26-1 Spartans are back for the third straight time after defeating Frankfort Adena for the second year in a row in the regional final, this time 25-16, 25-19, 25-13.

They will face Versailles (21-7), which finished runner-up in their last showing in 2003. Versailles nipped Bishop Ready in five in their regional semifinal. They then topped Bishop Fenwick in four, thereby preventing the GGCL from having yet another final four contestant. Megan Campbell led the Tigers with 16 kills and seven blocks.

Versailles is a member of the Midwest Athletic Conference, which includes St. Henry and Division IV state qualifier Marion Local.

In Division IV, top ranked Jackson Center (27-1) took Fort Loramie impressively 25-5, 25-20, 25-19, this just after Fort Loramie had beaten Sidney Lehman Catholic in three. During the regular season, Jackson barely prevailed over Lehman in a 17-15 tiebreaker, and they only won their second league match with Fort Loramie 25-23, 25-23, 27-25. But they ran the table to 12-0 in the Shelby County Athletic League, besting Anna twice in the process. Their lone loss came at the hands of Lima Central Catholic in a tri-match at Indian Lake.

Jackson Center will face unranked Buckeye Central (25-2) in the state semifinal. The Buckettes toppled fourth rated Norwalk St. Paul to win their district, and then knocked off #18 Kidron Central Christian in the regional final. They are making their ninth overall appearance, but first since 2001. Buckeye Central won titles in 1993 and 1996.

Defending state champion and second rated Marion Local (24-3) earned a return trip with regional wins over Tiffin Calvert and eighth rated Leipsic. The Flyers escaped from the New Bremen Sectional with five game wins over Fort Recovery, and MAC champion and fifth ranked New Bremen.

They also survived the loss of four hitters ranging from 6’1” to 6’4” to graduation. This year’s team starts four sophomores and a freshman and has no 6-footers.

The Flyers will tangle with third rated Newark Catholic (26-1), which ousted tenth ranked Tuscarawas Central Catholic and South Webster to advance from the southeast regional. The Green Wave defeated Heath twice and finished 14-0 in the Mid-State League.