Division III State Semis Set; Vote for Your Winner!

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#2 GILMOUR ACADEMY vs #10 ST. URSULA ACADEMY (Toledo)</h2>   <p>Gilmour Academy (22-4) took down #1 ranked Archbishop Hoban in their region final to secure their spot in the state semis. With a total of 98 kills in their most recent win, the Lancers certainly sent a message that they are playing high level ball right now with a lot of balance and impact across their rotation. Outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='152050' first='Aubrey' last='Anders'] earned a match-high 31 kills to lead five attackers in double digits. Senior setter [player_tooltip player_id='151988' first='Ella' last='Jackson'] orchestrated their offense with 52 total assists while making a huge impact defensively with 21 digs. Entering the final weekend, the Lancers are a favorite by many to win the title given their depth combined with experience and rich tradition in setting an incredible postseason standard of success. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='480840' first='Kyla' last='Williams'] had 16 kills at the right pin and puts up a huge block that can apply pressure to the best attackers. [player_tooltip player_id='152066' first='Marlie' last='Davis'] matched Williams offensively with 16 kills of her own as the Lancers also saw huge offense in the middle by way of 32 total kills divided among [player_tooltip player_id='152049' first='Kayla' last='Channell'] (18) and [player_tooltip player_id='227796' first='D'Aira' last='Whitner'] (14). With 110 total digs, <strong>Brie Habib </strong>led the Lancers with 27. This team may be the most complete in all of Ohio and have played one of the toughest schedules with their four losses coming to two teams in the DI semis in Seton and SJA, another to Roger Bacon in the DII semis, and to DII Mount Notre Dame. Gilmour Academy is tested and ready.</p>   <p>St. Ursula Academy (15-11) may be a big underdog here but they do have some pieces that could give the Lancers fits. They have earned a string of 3-1 wins over their most recent three matches, including a win over NDCL in the region final. In that contest the Arrows had a balanced attack as four athletes had between eight and 14 kills, led by junior [player_tooltip player_id='403528' first='Mia' last='Hasty']. Fellow juniors [player_tooltip player_id='479389' first='Molly' last='Malone'] and [player_tooltip player_id='261340' first='Kayden' last='Campbell'] added 12 and 10 kills respectively. An area where they excelled was at the service line as SUA had 11 aces, led by sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='592215' first='Blake' last='Schroyer'] with four. Another junior, [player_tooltip player_id='226024' first='Ellie' last='Panczyszyn'], led the distribution with 42 assists, demonstrating, much like their upcoming opponent, that they have a variety of offensive weapons. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='398694' first='Devin' last='Dzienny'] was big on the defensive side as she had a team high 21 digs. Although the Arrows have a fair amount of losses, the majority of them have come at the hands of some of Ohio's top teams, including several still alive for a state crown across the new divisional structure. This competitive experience will have them prepared for their biggest test this season.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#3 URSULINE ACADEMY vs #4 BISHOP WATTERSON</h2>   <p>Ursuline (20-6) tied for the best record in the GGCL at 6-2 this season. This league experience is one that is elite and unmatched in considering the battle that is ahead of you in every conference match. They overcame a high quality Tippecanoe squad in the regional semis as the 3-2 win was a significant step towards their arrival at the state tournament. In that match it was a corps of seniors that performed very well to ensure the Lions advanced. The experience and length of pin [player_tooltip player_id='176087' first='Katie' last='Gielas'] resulted in 24 total kills on a .278 efficiency that paralleled her team high six blocks. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='195856' first='Lindy' last='Radaszewski'], a physical and very active middle, terminated 14 kills on a team best .345 efficiency while adding four blocks. Senior setter [player_tooltip player_id='482519' first='Addy' last='Franz'] supported her attackers well as she had 47 assists to go along with 16 digs. Another senior, [player_tooltip player_id='176092' first='Rainey' last='Weidman'] led the Lions with 23 digs. This is another team that has good depth and balance throughout their rotation. Add in sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='434971' first='Jillian' last='Forrest'] (8 kills, 5 blocks) and junior <strong>Elle Hudepohl</strong> (6 kills) and the impact of the Lions' collective effort climbs. This was evidenced in their regional final win over Turpin in which the offense was led by Gielas (18 kills), Radaszewski (13), and Forrest (10 kills) as Weidman led the defense and four teammates in double-digit digs with 16.</p>   <p>Bishop Watterson (21-7) has displayed their value and competitiveness, that could be considered dominant, as they dropped just one set since their district championship match with their most recent win over a solid Bloom-Carroll squad. Junior pin [player_tooltip player_id='227803' first='Layla' last='Hoying'] has been their biggest offensive threat and she was huge over these three previous matches with a total of 49 kills for a 4.9 k/s average, which is right on target for her this season overall. She is also second on the team in digs at 2.6 d/s. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='152040' first='Macie' last='Moreland'] has provided great support of Hoying offensively at 3.0 k/s for the season. Her 13 kills in their 3-1 win over Marietta in the regional semis helped secure their step forward. Other offensive contributors are seniors [player_tooltip player_id='503054' first='Chloe' last='Moreland'] and [player_tooltip player_id='232147' first='Isabelle' last='Thomas']. Moreland adds 2.0 k/s while Thomas adds 1.3 k/s along with her team-leading defense at 3.8 blocks per match. Other key contributions come through a pair of seniors in their setter and libero as senior [player_tooltip player_id='152357' first='Emma' last='Cloran'] dishes nearly eight assists per set and [player_tooltip player_id='151976' first='Makenna' last='Glenn'] picks up 4.6 digs per set while leading the Eagles with 51 aces. As Hoying has seen the most offensive opportunities at nearly 40% more than Moreland, she will likely continue to see high volume until this run ends. She is a handful with a big arm, good range, and high I.Q. in her offense that can come from anywhere on the court. It will be fun to see this offense compete against these other teams that seemingly have more depth and balance by the numbers.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">VOTE For Your Favorite to Win the DIII Title!</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-crowdsignal wp-block-embed-crowdsignal"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://poll.fm/14605468 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/Screenshot-2024-11-05-at-3.33.01 PM.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-715964" style="width:195px;height:auto" /></figure>   <p></p>   <p><strong>Ohio Top 250 Expo | Register today!</strong></p>   <p>Use discount code: MBryantExpo2024 </p>