NDA Competing Well Against Area’s Best

<p>Notre Dame Academy is the defending state champion. Although they lost some significant talent to graduation, they remain a team full of talent and one not afraid to take on the best of the best. Their recent schedule indicates how tough their journey has been of late and although there are some hiccups, they also have proved their mettle and just what they are capable of competitively. The Pandas are 18-4 overall and in their last eight matches they have faced off against some of the top-ranked teams in both Kentucky and Ohio. Their most recent loss was a 3-1 result against another of Kentucky’s top teams in St. Henry. However, this stretch included matches against four of Ohio’s premier teams, three among the top-five ranked in Division I and the top-ranked Division II team. This run started with a tough loss to Ohio’s #2 ranked team in Ursuline (Division I). However, NDA went on to claim three big wins including victories over other top-five teams in #1 St. Ursula and #5 Seton (Division I) as well as #1 Gilmour Academy (Division II). They also picked up significant wins against Ohio’s #10 team in DII (Roger Bacon) and another top-25 team in Holy Cross. Top players for this team include:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="126332" first="Emily" last="Bentley"]</strong> - 2022 | S<br /> The lone senior on this team, Bentley is a veteran returnee at the setting position and has continued to do her thing, which includes leading this squad through the gauntlet of a schedule and has this team ranked among the top squads in the state. She is averaging 10.3 assists per set and has guided the Panda’s offense to a .325 efficiency overall. She is contributing on the defensive side as well with five digs and one block per match. If she can grow the balance and productivity a bit further beyond their top gun this team could make another run to the title this year.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="106678" first="Sydney" last="Nolan"]</strong> - 2023 | MB<br /> Nolan is a coveted prospect and garnering a lot of attention from some of the country’s top programs. She has assumed the role of this team’s "go to" arm as she has seen the most attempts in their offense as a middle. She is long and elevates well and can create good pace on the ball with her arm speed. Given her ability to score from all locations, she is tough to contain. She is terminating at about four kills per set while hitting at a .490 efficiency. She also leads this team at the net defensively with nearly three blocks per match. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="157453" first="Peyton" last="Mast"]</strong> - 2023 | RS<br /> Mast brings good size to the right pin in addition to being left-handed. Following a very competitive club season that included qualifying for nationals at the open level, Mast is showcasing some of the gains she made in her footwork, aggressive arm, and ability to move the ball around. She has good vision and awareness of the defense in front of her and as she can score through different attack points behind the setter, she has good arm control to swing through a big range of the opponent’s court. She is averaging 2.4 kills per set while hitting .304.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="107418" first="Macy" last="Lentz"]</strong> - 2024 | OH<br /> The lone sophomore on this roster, Lentz has a big role. She is second on the team in total attempts and 2.6 kills per set. She is also hitting .292 on the season. Lentz is fun to watch as she has an aggressive approach pattern with no fear to take very healthy swings. She makes veteran-like contributions and as she grows her experience over the course of the season, look for her to make some significant plays that help keep the NDA train rolling.</p> <p><strong>Kamden Schrand</strong> - 2023 | L/DS<br /> Schrand is the libero of this squad that is solid defensively behind their big block. As the Pandas have a solid core of ball control and defense among their inidividual personnel as well as a group, Schrand is their leader. She reads the floor well and gets herself stopped and balanced to make good first-step moves to pursue the ball. Getting this team in-system is key provided the heavy offense from the middle and opposite positions, and Schrand is a key catalyst here. She is averaging 11 digs per match, which pairs well with her ability to apply a lot of pressure at the service line. She leads this team in total service aces.</p>