D4 Semifinal Recap & Standouts: CEC, OLL Advance

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Division 4 semifinals were a contrast in matchups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clarkston Everest Collegiate continued its unbeaten run with a dominant win over Hancock, while St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake had to find reserves to best Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart in five sets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What it sets up is the defending champs against the Cinderella story on Saturday at 10 a.m.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>No. 8 Our Lady of the Lake def. No. 2 MP Sacred Heart, 3-2</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":723011,"width":"312px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/SHA-vs-OLL-10.jpg?w=941" alt="" class="wp-image-723011" style="width:312px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='723141' first='Nora' last='Proos']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It seemed as if every point took minutes to decide in this one, as neither team was able to get past the other's defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over the five sets, 518 swings were made and there were 319 digs. Ultimately, it was the Lakers that made a few more plays to win 24-26, 25-22, 25-11, 26-28, 15-8.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Making the win even more impressive for OLL was that it did it with a roster of just seven players – five seniors and two eighth graders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We talk a lot about nutrition and hydration and rest and all the important stuff. Everything else has to be sacrificed during the season of volleyball if you want to get to the end. And these guys, they bit and they chomped on it all season long, and they just work their tails off. I'm so proud of them,” OLL coach Erin Cashen said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Five different Lakers had at least 22 digs in the match. <strong>Rachel Kalamaros </strong>and <strong>Jojo Marsh </strong>led the way with 36 each, while <strong>Ellie Howard </strong>had 34. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='723141' first='Nora' last='Proos'] </strong>led the offense with 34 kills, while Marsh added 19. <strong>Aislin Sargent </strong>had 56 assists to go with 25 digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sacred Heart was led by libero <strong>Isabel Rookard</strong>, who had 41 digs. <strong>Chelsea Lynch </strong>added 34 digs with 11 kills while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='595955' first='Sophie' last='Hauck'] </strong>had 23 digs and 36 assists. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='610342' first='Erin' last='Judge'] </strong>had 13 kills to lead the Irish offense, while <strong>Karis Tewilliger </strong>had 12.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our Lady of the Lake moves to 33-3-1 on the season with the win. Sacred Heart ends its season at 42-5-2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>No. 1 Everest Collegiate def. Hancock, 3-0</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":722995,"width":"265px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/CEC-vs-Hancock-14.jpg?w=738" alt="" class="wp-image-722995" style="width:265px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Erica Walker</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everest Collegiate looked every part the defending champion as it ran past Hancock 25-10, 25-16, 25-13.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs just didn't have an answer for the Mountaineer hitters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everest worked outsides <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261206' first='Sarah' last='Bradley'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='288958' first='Madelyn' last='Krappmann'] </strong>in the first set, then shifted the focus to middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='722961' first='Addison' last='Pearce']</strong> in the second.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Altogether, the three combined for 38 kills. Bradley hit .467, Krappmann hit .611 and Pearce hit .727.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“When everyone steps up and plays their role, you're completing that puzzle. Each of these girls is a puzzle piece,” Everest Collegiate coach Danielle Walker said. “For each of them to step up at the right time, in the game, in the match, whatever, it is huge. We know we can rely on all of them.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bradley led the match with 16 kills and set the tone with three kills to open the first set. She also had seven aces and six digs. Krappmann finished with 13 kills and a team-high nine digs, while Pearce had nine kills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Erica Walker </strong>had 30 assists while leading the team to hit .481.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hancock was led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='732226' first='Brooke' last='Koskela']</strong>, who had 10 kills and six digs. <strong>Azura Aho </strong>added six kills, while <strong>Emily L'Esperance </strong>had 18 assists, and <strong>Sofie Freeman </strong>had seven digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everest Collegiate improves to an unbeaten 37-0-1 on the season, while Hancock concludes its season at 25-7-2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->