Saint Louis Top Performances-Cor Jesu Quarterfinals

<p>Cor Jesu and Marquette, on paper, sounded like it would be nothing but a battle till the end.  Unfortunately, after a close first set loss, Marquette ran out of gas, and Cor Jesu put it into overdrive.  Marquette features two of the best middles in the state, and Cor Jesu has outsides that can pound the ball. Cor Jesu’s defense and pin hitters wore down Marquette.  Marquette’s passing troubles could never run the middle as much as they needed to for the win.  Cor Jesu has solid middles, defense, setting, and pin hitters, while Marquette was middle loaded.  In the end, Cor Jesu was more than Marquette could handle and came away with a 25-23, 25-17, 25-21 win. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="150037" first="Grace" last="Killion"]</strong> (2024) | Cor Jesu</p> <p>The sophomore could have come in timid and nervous, and if she was, she didn’t play like it.  The outside hitter for the Chargers led the attack with ten kills and countless digs to keep the offense moving.  Cor Jesu won this match because the two outside hitters banged balls and dug up everything the Mustang hit. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Kayle Drysdale</strong> (2022) | Cor Jesu</p> <p>The 5’10 senior was instrumental in helping her Chargers make the final four. She was essential on the outside for Cor Jesu, but her defense was her most significant contribution in the quarterfinals.  The passing and diving digs helped keep the ball alive for her pin hitters that exploited the Marquette pin blockers.  With nine kills pounded, she finally got over the quarterfinal hurdle and on to state. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101696" first="Madilyn" last="Sell"]</strong> (2022) | Marquette</p> <p>Mizzou volleyball is getting a good one with this kid.  The 6’3 middle was powerful in the quarterfinal when giving the ball but not enough to win.  After the loss of the first set, the passing fell apart, and the middle wasn’t used nearly enough.  You have a D1 middle; give her the ball till she’s stopped or her arm falls off. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Maya Esparza</strong> (2022) | Marquette</p> <p>What a fun middle to watch play in the quarterfinals, and she did all she could do for the Mustangs to win—team leader with nine kills and three blocks.  Her passion and excitement for the game poured out of her with every point Marquette would score.  All should admire her passion for the game who were in attendance. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Madison Hoffman</strong> (2022) | Cor Jesu</p> <p>I wish everyone could have a teammate like Hoffman just once.  She goes all out all the time, first to cheer on her teammate’s successes and the first to pick up her teammate in a failure.  More importantly, she is just a dang good libero.  She passes nails and reads the ball so well off the hitters.  Marquette had trouble getting the ball down from the outside, and most of the time, it was Hoffman causing fits. </p>