Ohio State Semis: Early Match Favorites & Key Factors

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Division VII Could Be Calvert's to Lose</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unbeaten Calvert (27-0) has been a staple at this stage of the season for the past few years. This time around though they are relying on new faces and young prospects. Sophomore<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='480860' first='Bella' last='Borgio']</strong>, one of two sophomores selected to the all-Ohio teams, leads their offense at 3.2 k/s. The 1st team selection in Borgio gets great support junior <strong>Emily Miller</strong> and fellow sophomore <strong>Karris Marinis</strong>. Miller, a 3rd team all-Ohio honoree, adds 2.9 k/s while Marinis is just shy of two kills per frame while leading her team in total blocks. One of the key factors in this group's effort though comes through the hands of sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='763884' first='Bryn' last='Dirksen']</strong>. Calvert's floor leader, Dirksen has over 800 assists on the season and has helped guide this offense to earning over 12 kills per set as a unit while hitting at a collective .273. She is the other sophomore selected to the all-Ohio teams as a 2nd team honoree. This team has great tools in their arsenal and they complete with a lot of confidence and swag. It will take a big effort to past them. St. Paul (20-7) is Calvert's semifinal opponent and they feature two big contributors in sophomore pin <strong>Ella Kalizewski</strong> at 3.4 k/s and junior libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='717480' first='Lily' last='Cuturic']</strong> at 4.9 d/s. At 284 total kills, Kalizeski has upgraded her impact from her first season including improving her attacking efficiency and defense at 6.2 d/m. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='483807' first='Kristin' last='Matlack']</strong> is a 3rd team all-Ohio selection and averages 8.3 a/s and 9.5 d/m.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Coldwater Will be Tough to Handle</em></strong> <strong><em>in Division VI</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 28-0, Coldwater is a machine. It has been a while since they have lost a set as they are cruising behind some top veteran experience. With nearly 11 kills per set coming from their two primary attackers, both recently named as 1st team all-Ohio selections, the balance they create between each other is a difficult task for any defense. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='289171' first='Morgan' last='Blasingame'] leads Coldwater at 5.8 k/s as fellow senior and Stanford commit [player_tooltip player_id='289170' first='Spencer' last='Etzler'] adds 4.7 k/s while leading the team in attacking efficiency, aces and digs. Blasingame leads in total blocks. The x-factor may be junior setter [player_tooltip player_id='227816' first='Mia' last='Knapke'], a 2nd team all-Ohio honoree, as she can do it all. With the responsibility of getting her two big arms into good spots to swing, she can defend at the net well while also earning points off her own arm when available. She has good command of the court, knows her team well, and has great court sense and I.Q. Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='721278' first='Campbell' last='Etzler'] </strong>is another key factor as the team's libero. She has over 320 digs on the season while also serving up over 40 aces. By these factors, Coldwater is a favorite to take the D VI crown. Their semifinal opponent is Independence (25-3) as they feature two big arms of their own in 3rd team all-Ohio selection [player_tooltip player_id='403533' first='Haley' last='Wilson'] at 4.1 k/s and senior [player_tooltip player_id='151989' first='Sofia' last='Smotek'] at 3.3 k/s.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Division V Key Factor for Each Team</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lake Catholic </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Big surprise that Lake Catholic is not represented on the all-Ohio teams for Division V. They have some great talent including senior libero [player_tooltip player_id='321046' first='Julia' last='Oster']. Oster has earned nearly 1,200 digs in her varsity career with the Cougars, including a career best average of 17.2 digs per match in 2024 alone. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Adena</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 5'11, junior middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='732839' first='Katie' last='Burns']</strong> is a point scoring force at 5.9 k/s. Her effort has earned her a 1st team all-Ohio honor for 2024 as she has nearly doubled her offensive output in leading Adena to a 24-3 overall record. Her .287 efficiency is also a team high while she also is a force at the net defensively with 3.0 blocks per match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ottawa-Glandorf</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With over 2,100 total assists through her first three years of varsity action, junior <strong>Adysson Bellman</strong> has maintained a very consistent assist average around nine per frame throughout that span. At 5'7, she is a key catalyst to this team's success as she can deliver high quality even in tough situations. It starts with deliberate preparation to be balanced and ready upon passer contact so that she can move with efficiency to get her hands up and deliver tempo and location. Her top option is [player_tooltip player_id='227620' first='Sienna' last='Fry'], a recent 1st team all-Ohio selection.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bishop Fenwick</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Look for sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='480794' first='Morgan' last='Meiring'], a 3rd team all-Ohio selection for 2024. At 4.0 k/s, she has been the primary arm and point scorer as she has seen twice as many attempts as any of her teammates. They utilize her in a variety of ways and although an underclassmen, she has great arm control and range in what she can produce upon contact. She also adds over nine digs per match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->