Week 9 Notes and Highlights

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>#4 Roger Bacon Defeats DII #1</em></strong><br>In a battle of highly ranked Division II teams, the Spartans emerged with the win in a 16-14 fifth set decision. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='114590' first='Kelsey' last='Niesen'] was a huge factor for Roger Bacon as she had a team high 17 kills on a .441 efficiency. This followed a similar effort in a tough five-set loss to [program_tooltip program_id='431851' first='MVC' last=''] rival CHCA in which the league leading Spartans got 17 kills from Niesen then as well. She also had 36 digs over those two contests. Helping the Spartans defeat the state's #1 team were junior pin [player_tooltip player_id='179022' first='Mariah' last='Gaines'] and sophomore middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='772254' first='Etellina' last='Jackson']</strong> as they contributed 13 and 11 kills respectively. Gaines has been solid once again as she is contributing a team best 3.5 k/s, which is good for third in the [program_tooltip program_id='431851' first='MVC' last='']. At 120 total kills this season, Jackson is top-10 in the league and been a key addition to their effort in 2023. Junior setter [player_tooltip player_id='152056' first='Ally' last='Hughes'] is one of the best setters in the Cincy area. She leads the [program_tooltip program_id='431851' first='MVC' last=''] in total assists, which includes 93 assists over these past two matches highlighted above. The Spartans made a deep run in 2023 and both Roger Bacon and Mercy McAuley are poised to find big success this postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Turpin Earns 2nd in Crowded ECC</em></strong><br>Turpin's five-set win over Lebanon helped the Spartans earn 2nd place in the ECC after they defeated the Warriors twice this season, including a 22-20 set-five win in their most recent win. Turpin beat them in a 3-0 sweep in their earlier meeting. Lebanon fell to 13-5 overall and fourth in the ECC, their lowest finish since they joined the league. Turpin closed out league play with a valiant effort against the league champion Kings Knights this past Thursday as they went the distance once again, this time falling short 16-14 in the fifth frame. Their final regular season match was against a good Mason team as Turpin won won 3-1 to finish 16-6 overall heading into postseason play. Leading their offense was senior [player_tooltip player_id='139273' first='Lilly' last='Gillespie'] (*pictured) as she had 19 kills and 16 digs in the win over Lebanon. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='139274' first='Melana' last='Bigelow'] added 12 kills along with 13 digs for a double-double of her own. This senior tandem has been leading Turpin all season as Gillespie is averaging 3.2 k/s for 7th in the ECC as Bigelow is #10 at 2.8 k/s. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='227798' first='Maddie' last='Steele'] was huge defensively against Lebanon with 12 blocks in the match as she is the ECC's leader in that category. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Mount Notre Dame Making Late Season Push</em></strong><br>At 14-8 overall, the Cougars are 5-2 over their last seven matches versus a tough stretch of opponents to close out the regular season. With a solid 3-1 win over Sacred Heart (Louisville, KY), they then took down the defending Ohio DI champions in Ursuline 3-2 before putting up a big fight against two of the GGCL's top teams in Mercy McAuley and St. Ursula, losing both matches in extra sets. They then earned a big win over the GWOC champs in Centerville as they needed five sets to contain the Elks and their big offensive duo. That match was sandwiched between two 3-0 wins over Bishop Watterson and Archbishop McNicholas. Leading the way for MND is a trio of arms that helps them spread their scoring through both pins. Senior middle [player_tooltip player_id='239172' first='Kate' last='Noschang'] is their best offensive threat as she is currently sixth offensively in the league at just over three kills per set. She has good awareness and arm control upon contact. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='227617' first='Cara' last='Richter'] is showing her mettle this season as the left side pin is just behind her teammate among the top 10 at 2.8 k/s. She is a high flyer and can bring heat as well as apply great pressure from the service line. The biggest surprise is the offense of sophomore middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='392780' first='Sydney' last='Geselbracht']</strong> and her 2.4 k/s. She has big upside with her length and arm. Her steady rise in confidence and production has MND in the mix as they enter the postseason. Other key factors are [player_tooltip player_id='114570' first='Kenzie' last='Cogan'] the Illinois commit is just ahead of 13 digs per match. Opposite<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='151957' first='Malia' last='Brinkman']</strong> offers 1.5 k/s and setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='480817' first='Kendall' last='Hubbard']</strong>, just a sophomore, has put up some of her best numbers distributing their offense over their recent matches. Look for MND to continue surging through the postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->