Recent Match Stars to Note

Thornberry provided a complete effort as CHCA played a solid match to get a good win win among their non-conference slate as they beat Lebanon 3-0. With 12 kills, Thornberry hit at a .300 efficiency while also earning 12 digs and four service aces. The 5'8 junior outside hitter showed a lot of variety in her offense as she took big swings for power both down the line and through the cross-court while also earning points with finesse and court awareness to guide the ball. This early season, Thornberry is among the top four offensively in the [program_tooltip program_id='431851' first='MVC' last=''].     Ursuline won a solid Cincy-area non-conference match versus Loveland, one of the favorites in the ECC, by a 3-1 result. Smith (*pictured), a 6'0 middle, led their offense with 16 kills on a .250 efficiency. She also shined on the defensive side as she collected 10 digs to support the team high effort in total blocks with five. The Lions rely a lot on a corps of non-senior prospects for key efforts as Smith, just a sophomore, is averaging 2.8 k/s. She gets good lift off the court and has good arm control to swing through space with good authority.     Kelley was the star of the match as Conotton Valley defeated Caldwell 3-2 on Monday. Earning a match best 17 kills, Kelley had her best output of the 2025 season so far. Averaging 2.3 k/s, she is just ahead of her career average of which started her freshman season. She did it on the defensive end as well in the win as she picked up a team high 14 digs. Kelley showed good versatility to score from the middle and at the left pin with both aggressiveness as well as good touch.     The middle from Caldwell provided a big effort across several aspects of the game in their recent 3-2 loss to Connotton Valley. Offensively, Pakes terminated 12 kills to go along with teams highs in service aces (4) and blocks (3) while earning a double-digit effort of 14 digs. Lefty middles are rare and Pakes is a good one in her ability to jump well and get a high elbow contact on the ball. She entered the 2025 season with just over 350 career kills.     Shadyside dropped a tough match to The Linsly School by a 3-2 outcome but it did not close without a fight, led by Nippert, as set five ended at a 15-13 score. The senior outside hitter led her team with 13 kills and 19 digs for the double-double effort to help keep the Tigers competitive throughout the match. Nippert has good arm control as an aggressive attacker with good torque in her swing.