Key Division I District Semifinal Matchups

<p>Two of the biggest matches on the Division I district playoff slate will feature some big offensive arms and combinations of hitters, along with some of the best young talent in the state.</p> <p><em><strong>Olmsted Falls vs. Steele | Tuesday 10/27</strong></em><br /> Olmsted Falls, the #3 seed, enters this contest at 21-2 overall and has some great offensive power as they average over 13 kills per set as a team. They are led by the big arm of senior <strong>Rylee Victor</strong>. The senior left side attacker is averaging 4.6 kills per set and shown ability to score from a variety of attack points. She is also efficient with her opportunities hitting at a .305 clip. She is complemented well by teammate and fellow outside hitter <strong>Kylee Urban</strong>. At 5’8, she is dynamic in her movement, athleticism, and arm. She has good momentum build to the ball and can generate good arm speed and movement upon contact at the top of her jump. At 4.1 kills per set, she has the ability to dissect a defense with crafty swings and is the most efficient hitter on the team at .352. She is also averaging over 10 digs per match. Leading this team defensively is junior <strong>Addie Odon</strong> at 14.3 digs per match.<br /> The #6 seed Steele Comets have found great success as well as they finished 13-1 in league play to earn the Southwestern Conference title. They have a terrific offensive threat in senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114449" first="Laken" last="Voss"]</strong> as she terminates five kills per set with great efficiency at .403, which is terrific for an outside hitter with the volume of opportunity that she sees. She has great arm control in the air and can get the ball onto the defense quickly with the power she can create. Junior middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114531" first="Nia" last="Hall"]</strong> is the next best offensive threat at 3.3 kills per set. They also get good contributions from sophomore middle <strong>Cecily Waynar</strong>. At 5’11, she provides 2.1 kills per set while leading the team defensively with 3.4 blocks per match. Additional defensive work comes from Voss with 13 digs per match and junior <strong>Lindsey McConihe</strong> with a team leading 15.3 digs per match. With more balance in their offensive distribution, along with the nine blocks they earn per match on the defensive side, Steele should take this match. Olmsted Falls has the ability to sneak a win given the production they can get from their offensive duo. This should be an electric match. Prediction: Steele 3-2.</p> <p><em><strong>Mercy McAuley vs. Kings | Wednesday 10/27</strong></em><br /> These two teams are led by young talent that has continued to gain competitive experience and maturity that is proving to be some of the best in the greater Cincinnati area. Mercy McAuley is the #5 seed and have battled all season given the strength of the GGCL as they finished 2-6 in league play and are currently 13-10 overall. They have some nice point scoring options and a scrappy style to their defense that has ability to keep them in matches as long as they manage their errors. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114574" first="Maria" last="Drapp"]</strong>, the Wolves’ sophomore setter, continues to be a reliable floor leader as she has ability to distribute the floor with good accuracy and consistency in tempo and location. She is averaging 10.5 assists per set. Her best offensive option is in fellow sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="139276" first="Sophia" last="Adkins"]</strong> on the left side as she leads the team with 4.0 kills per set. She gets good support from senior middle <strong>Raelyn Sanders</strong> as she contributes well on both sides of the ball at 2.8 kills per set and 2.3 blocks per match. Sophomore outside <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114582" first="Ruby" last="Klusman"]</strong> is this team’s most viable third option offensively at 2.2 kills per set. Defensively, junior <strong>Jess Drapp</strong> creates a lot of opportunities for this team at 15 digs per match.<br /> Kings, the #6 seed, boasts one of the best 1-2 offensive punches in the area as a trio of sophomores have led this squad all season by way of hitting and offensive distribution. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="139272" first="Abby" last="Yoder"]</strong> is one of the best sophomore setters in Ohio and has terrific competitive experience. She has over 800 assists on the season and led the very competitive ECC in this category this fall. The offensive versatility of sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114584" first="Elise" last="Marchal"]</strong> has been fun to watch as she can score from any location on the court and is averaging 4.3 kills per set while contributing 2.7 blocks per match. She is second in total kills in the ECC only behind teammate and fellow sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114565" first="Sydney" last="Barrett"]</strong> who is terminating 4.8 kills per set. She is one of the most dynamic and high flying arms in the ECC and has been difficult to contain as she is hitting at a .301 efficiency. She also adds 2.5 blocks per match. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114578" first="Dakota" last="Henry"]</strong> is another sophomore on this squad and is averaging nearly 14 digs per match. Kings, 19-4 overall, has the edge here in total package on both sides of the ball. Prediction: Kings 3-1.</p>