Notre Dame Academy volleyball's narrative over the previous couple of weeks has been to play relaxed after a tricky common season.
The s hosted a scrappy Bishop Brossart workforce in entrance of a packed fitness center in Park Hills within the first spherical of the 2026 t, coming away with a 25-16, 25-20, 25-14 win to advance to Friday night's state quarterfinals.
"Our file – I suppose we're 26-11 now – might be not a file that we're used to however we actually did have a energy of schedule and we performed quite a lot of good groups to begin the season," Notre Dame co-coach Hannah Colvin mentioned.
Notre Dame obtained out to a quick begin, utilizing 4 runs of not less than three factors to take a 17-9 lead within the first set. Teagan Kondik, Makayla Roose and Emma Redlinger mixed for 13 kills within the set and the Pandas registered 5 blocks.
Brossart got here round within the second set, rallying from a 19-14 deficit, due to a kill and a block from sophomore Audrey Arnold, forcing NDA to name its lone timeout of the match. The Pandas responded instantly with a Kondik kill and a Grout ace to stretch the lead again to 5 and held Brossart at bay to shut out the set.
For all of the totally different seems to be that Brossart threw on the Pandas with its tall, versatile blockers, NDA was capable of combine up the assault due to split-second communication from libero Kaia Tilden and setter Ellie Osterkamp.
Kondik (13 kills, 16 digs, one block and one ace) and Roose (14 kills, 4 aces and 5 blocks) as soon as once more led the offense, firing cannonballs into the bottom at any time when they obtained the possibility, however junior Emma Redlinger was a dependable third choice with 10 kills. The junior, together with Ellie Breitling, Sophia Bramlage and Charlotte Verst, has actually given the Pandas depth within the postseason and is seeing an elevated function this season.
"We actually simply needed to point out up for our workforce and go all out. We needed to show ourselves this 12 months as a result of final 12 months, there have been so many good individuals, however we actually needed to return out and show ourselves and present that we’re on this workforce for a purpose," Redlinger mentioned.
One of the vital spectacular stats of the night time was Notre Dame serving 9 complete aces to only three service errors, successful 57.8 p.c of its service factors.
"We have been actually simply specializing in getting them out of system. Even once they have been out of system, they have been having to run their outsides rather a lot and I believe that was useful for us to not have their middles as concerned," Colvin mentioned.
The Girl Mustangs obtained nearly all of their manufacturing from freshman Evelyn Laker (15 kills) and Audrey Arnold (six kills and a block), limiting senior Callie Ritter to only three kills and a block. Brossart had simply 28 kills as a workforce.
Bishop Brossart's seniors have been the important thing to a historic season
The Girl 'Stangs went 36-4 and earned their first state match berth since 2022 due to their seven seniors: Ritter, Aubrey Rebholz, Sienna Studer, Josie Reckner, Hailey Heitker, Claire Decker and Leah Robinson.
Ritter clearly led the way in which because the tenth Area Participant of the Yr, however Rebholz had 1,046 assists, 261 digs and 50 aces and gave Brossart two second-team all-state choices. Robinson was second on the workforce with 70 blocks and Heitker contributed 147 kills. Every member poured into the workforce in a singular method.
As Brossart turns the web page to 2027 and past, search for Arnold and Laker to contend for area participant of the 12 months and the all-state groups. Each tremendous versatile underclassmen led the workforce in not less than one class.
Who will the Pandas play within the 2026 KHSAA volleyball state quarterfinals?
Notre Dame will face West Jessamine at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at George Rogers Clark Excessive Faculty in Winchester, Kentucky. The Colts are the eight-time defending champions of the twelfth Area. They’re led by twelfth Area Participant of the Yr and all-state first workforce member Ashlyn Crutcher and twelfth Area Coach of the Yr Invoice Chicken. Junior setter Taylor Snowden was additionally named to the all-state first workforce.
Notre Dame has swept West Jessamine thrice within the state match: the primary spherical in 2025 and the semifinals in 2023 and 2020.
"We're grateful (for our path). We're not snug, ever, but it surely helps us have a bit bit extra confidence," Colvin mentioned.
This text initially appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: r