Division I
Ervin J. Nutter Center, Wright State University
Thursday and Saturday, November 7 & 9
 

Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame Wins Seventh State Title
Third-ranked Cougars defeat top-ranked Toledo St. Ursula Academy 3-1

DAYTON, Ohio – In a four-set match that included 29 ties and 16 lead changes, No. 3 Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame overcame a loss in the first set to win three straight sets and top No.1-ranked and previously undefeated Toledo St. Ursula, 3-1 (25-27, 25-23, 25-19, 26-24), Saturday in the OHSAA Division I state championship match at Wright State University’s Nutter Center.

The state title is the seventh for Mount Notre Dame (26-3), which also won championships in 2011, 2006, 2000, 1999, 1998 and 1995. Only St. Ursula (8), Newark Catholic (8) and St. Henry (7) have won as many state volleyball titles.

St. Ursula, a two-time state champ (2010 and 2004), ends its season 29-1 and was making its 10th appearance in the state tournament.

Despite MND’s loss in set one, it was their comeback at the end of the set which perhaps led to their eventual victory. The Cougars trailed 22-15 in set one before coming back to tie the score at 24-24.

Four players posted double-digit kills for MND, led by senior Christine Chandler (24 kills, 22 digs), sophomore Dani Szczepanski (14 kills), sophomore Sydney Mukes (12 kills) and senior Sara Priest (10 kills). Junior Jesseica Towle posted 58 assists.

Junior Lauran Graves led St. Ursula with 13 kills, while sophomore Elizabeth Coil added 10.
 

Division IV
Ervin J. Nutter Center, Wright State University
Thursday and Saturday, November 7 & 9

Maria Stein Marion Local Makes it Back-to-Back and No. 5

Top-ranked flyers shut out Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph

DAYTON, Ohio – Top-ranked Maria Stein Marion Local swept unranked Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 25-16, 25-22, 25-23, to win the OHSAA Division IV volleyball state championship Saturday at Wright State University’s Nutter Center.

The Flyers (28-1) never trailed in the second or third sets on their way to back-to-back state championships and their fifth state title overall (2012, 2009, 2008, 2007).

In a balanced Marion Local attack, senior Gina Kramer led the way with 12 kills, while senior Brooke Winner added eight. Senior Megan Wendel totaled 26 digs. Senior Katie Elking and senior Allie Wendel shared the assist leadership with 17 and 14, respectively.

VASJ ends its season 23-6 in its fifth trip to the state tournament (championships in 2001 and 2005).

Division III
Ervin J. Nutter Center, Wright State University
Friday and Saturday, November 8 & 9
 

Versailles Outlasts Gilmour Academy for First State Title

Tigers win first two sets, then win set five 15-11 for Div. III championship

DAYTON, Ohio – Two schools vying for their first volleyball state championship went the full five sets Saturday, and it was third-ranked Versailles that came out on top as the Tigers defeated ninth-ranked Gilmour Academy 3-2 (26-24, 25-23, 22-25, 23-25, 15-11) in the OHSAA Division III state championship match at Wright State University’s Nutter Center.

Versailles (27-2) was making its fourth appearance in the state tournament, while Gilmour (22-7) was making its fifth. The score was tied 24 times and there were nine lead changes during the match.

Despite the loss, Gilmour set an OHSAA record for best team hitting percentage in a Div. III five-set match (.217) since rally scoring went into effect in 2004.

Versailles senior Amanda Winner (28 kills, 16 digs) and junior Lauren Bruns (21 kills) led the way for the Tigers. Senior Rachel Kremer had 52 assists.

Senior Jess Janota totaled 33 kills for Gilmour, which are the second-most in a five-set Div. III state tournament match since 2004.

Division II
Ervin J. Nutter Center, Wright State University
Friday and Saturday, November 8 & 9
 

Parma Padua Franciscan Takes Home Third State Title

Bruins erase set one loss to win 3-1 over Kettering Archbishop Alter

DAYTON, Ohio – Parma Padua Franciscan kept the state’s No. 1 ranking the entire season, and capped off the 2013 campaign with the OHSAA Division II state championship Saturday with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-12, 25-21, 25-21) victory over second-ranked Kettering Archbishop Alter at Wright State University’s Nutter Center.

Padua (28-1) now owns three state titles in three trips to the state tournament, with the others coming in 2008 and 2009.

There were 21 tie scores and nine lead changes in the match.

Alter (24-4) was making its eighth state tournament appearance and owns three state titles (2006, 2003 and 2002).

Padua was led by senior Emily Marcinowski with 20 kills and 17 digs. Senior Sarah Peterson added 17 kills and junior Katie Stansbury notched 15 kills. Senior Gina Kilner provided 51 assists as the Bruins hit an impressive .277 for the match.

Junior Maddie Bazelak and senior Natalie Seiler led Alter in kills with 16 and 14, respectively.

2013 OHSAA Volleyball State Tournament Preview

The 39th edition of the Ohio High School Athletic Association volleyball state tournament gets underway Thursday at the Ervin J. Nutter Center on the campus of Wright State University in Dayton. The tournament is now in its 23rd year at the Nutter Center, with the championship games once again being televised live by SportsTime Ohio. The state tournament rotation in 2013 is Division I, IV, III and then II.

The semifinals get underway Thursday at noon with Division I, where fourth-ranked Columbus St. Francis DeSales (26-1) faces top-ranked Toledo St. Ursula Academy (27-0). DeSales has reached the state tournament for the sixth time and has one state championship (1982), while St. Ursula is in for the 10th time and owns two state championships (2010 and 2004) and was state runner-up in 2011. The second Division I semifinal game pits unranked and state tournament newcomer Hudson (21-6) against third-ranked Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame (23-3), which has won six state titles (last in 2011).

The Division IV semifinals will take place Thursday beginning at 4 p.m. when defending state champion and No. 1-ranked Maria Stein Marion Local (26-1) takes on second-ranked and undefeated McComb (27-0), which is in the state tournament for the first time. Marion Local owns four state titles since 2007. The second Division IV semifinal has 13th-ranked Newark Catholic (24-4) with its eight state championships (last in 2004) facing unranked Cleveland Villa Angela St. Joseph (22-5), which owns two state titles (2001 and 2005).

Friday’s action begins at noon with the Division III state semifinals when third-ranked Versailles (25-2) takes on sixth-ranked Upper Sandusky (25-2). Versailles is making its fourth state tournament appearance (runner-up in 2003), while Upper Sandusky has reached the “final four” for the first time. On the other side of the Division III bracket, 10th-ranked West Lafayette Ridgewood (26-1) makes its state tournament debut against ninth-ranked Gates Mills Gilmour Academy (21-6), which owns three state runner-up finishes (2008, 2010 and 2011).

The state semifinals conclude Friday with the Division II semifinals at 4 p.m. beginning with a match-up between second-ranked Kettering Archbishop Alter (23-3) and fourth-ranked Dover (27-0). Alter has played in the state championship match five times since 2002 (titles in 2002, 2003 and 2006), while Dover is making its third state tournament appearance overall. The second Division II semifinal has defending state champ and 11th-ranked Cleveland Heights Beaumont (20-7) facing No. 1 ranked Parma Padua Franciscan (26-1), which won state titles in 2008 and 2009.

State Volleyball Tournament Preview- Click here to read

Purchase your official OHSAA souvenir program at the Nutter Center or click here.

SportsTime Ohio, the official television partner of the OHSAA, will be airing all four championship games on tape-delay. Visit the SportsTime Ohio website for more information.

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Impact Action Sports Photography is the official photographer of the OHSAA. A parent request form is available to fill in detailed information in helping photographers satisfy requests in covering specific athletes. Click here to fill out a parent request form.