Coldwater’s Morgan Blasingame (above) plays big on both sides of the ball for the #1-seed Cavaliers. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
With four #1 seeds and a pair of #2s in divisions III, VI, and VII, there should be no shortage for area volleyball fans to follow for a hoped-for trip to the Final Four at the Nutter Center.
A fellow writer with local ties reached out Monday to ask: “With all those #1 and #2 seeds in your area (Coldwater (#1), New Breman (#1), Tippecanoe (#1), Fort Loramie (#1), St. Henry (#2), and Covington (#2)…wow! Which of them have the best chance of getting to the Final Four?”
It’s a great question for the sake of a column. But for the sake of actually predicting who’s the last man (or girl) standing come title weekend (November 7, 8, and 9), to actually pick one would be an embarrassment waiting to happen. And in terms of actually handicapping the three top-ranked Division VI MAC schools (Coldwater, New Bremen, and St. Henry), seeding has little to do with it.
Taking a long look at the brackets in Division VII, where Fort Loramie resides, one might draw a more positive conclusion. But we know…with volleyball, momentum and confidence reigns and there’s always a Tiffin Calvert out there that on a given day can grab the momentum and play more confidently than you.
But a good question deserves an answer, and from ‘personal’ observation here’s what I can say, at least, about Division VI Coldwater, New Bremen, and St. Henry, the three MAC schools (58-7, collectively) that everyone seems to be obsessing about.
Coldwater is #1 in Region 24, Division VI, Northwest 5, and has lost just one set in 22 matches this year (22-0), to Versailles nearly a month ago. They would get my vote for being the most consistent group that I’ve seen anywhere in area volleyball this year, having won the MAC Conference title…and to do that you have to go through the other heavyweights, New Bremen, St. Henry, and Marion Local; and they’re the one team that seems to be able to flip the momentum with a single serve, one point, one dig, or one kill. They play that confidently, and consistently, with an obvious veteran presence, and I really like their chances to finally achieve that elusive first title in volleyball. They strike me as a very motivated group.
New Bremen and Keira Steininger (above) do a lot of the little things to win four state titles since 2017.
New Bremen is #1 in Division VI, Region 22, Northwest 4, and is the reigning state champion from last year, then playing in Division IV. Simply put, the expectation is always there for the Cardinals, having won four titles since 2017 and finishing runner-up twice. They don’t seem to have the veteran presence of past New Bremen teams – there’s no Paige Jones or Olivia Heitkamp – but there is Melina Schrader (going to the Univ. of Dayton), whom coach Diana Kramer calls “arguably the best player I’ve ever coached.” Not as big as Coldwater and St. Henry, physically, the Cardinals do excel in a lot of little things that help you win. And at 19-3 for the year, well…how do you not respect a four-time champion, and still a #1 seed that’s questionably in a rebuilding mode? And just for the sake of ‘X’ factor, who has done a better job than Kramer at building a perpetual winner?
St. Henry is #2 in Division VI, Region 24, Northwest 5, and is in the same bracket with Coldwater. That said, St. Henry (18-4, 8-1 in the MAC) may be the most athletic of the bunch, or AT LEAST on par with Coldwater. They just had the misfortune of losing to Coldwater, Fort Loramie, and Ottawa-Glandorf, so their 18-3 is better than some others can say about their 21-1, or 20-2. Coached by Tricia Rosenbeck, their athleticism stands out – their aggressive serving stands out – and their ability to play defense impressed me on the nights I observed them against Coldwater and New Bremen. And motivation is hardly an issue. The Redskins have won the state title seven times, but not since 2011 when Diana Kramer was actually the coach at St. Henry. And, they finished runner-up most recently in 2021 and 2015.
Covington is #2 in Division VII, Region 28, and at 17-5 will surprise some of the unsuspecting because of sheer young talent under coach Stephanie Robinson, making her second appearance as coach at Covington. Strength of schedule raises some questions, because the Three Rivers Conference is not known for its volleyball reputation. But over the years Covington has been known. They’ve never won a state title, but they have had outstanding volleyball talent. In a friendly bracket with TRC rivals Lehman and Riverside, the Buccs have a good shot at being this year’s Cinderella.
Loramie coach John Rodgers has the Redskins poised for their best title shot since 2014.
Fort Loramie is #1 in Division VII, Region 28, Southwest 1, and the Redskins’ only loss came way back on the opening weekend of the season in the Coldwater preview tournament when they lost in three sets to…Coldwater. Since then, John Rodgers’ Redskins have run the table impressively against the Shelby County League, but moreso against a quality non-con schedule that included New Bremen, St. Henry, and Marion Local. And in their 20 consecutive wins, they dropped just one set…to New Bremen. What stands out about this group is their size and their experience. The Redskins are senior-heavy, highly motivated, and as Rodgers points out, “They have set their goals.” Winning a second title is one of them. They captured the Division IV title exactly a decade ago, in 2014. On paper they would seem to be the most physically formidable group in Division VII. Without question the expansion to seven divisions has benefited them as much as anyone. But they still have to win on the court…not on paper.
Tippecanoe is #1 in Division III, Region 8, Southwest 2, and the Red Devils have owned their own impressive streak this year with a 21-1 record, their only loss coming to Versailles in their final match of the regular season. The obvious question regarding Tipp is their strength of schedule, because they have the athletes and they’re coached by one of the best, Howard Garcia. But they breezed through the Miami Valley League, and non-cons like Miami East and Beavercreek hardly prepared them for a team like Versailles, who swept Tipp on the final weekend of the regular season. But there’s some history here. The Red Devils made the Final Four in 2020 before losing to Gates Mill Academy in the semi-final round. And not surprising, Garcia recently offered this. “This team is as talented as the one in 2020.”
At 21-1 Tippecanoe could make their best tournament run since the Final Four in 2020. “This team is as talented as that one,” says coach Howard Garcia.
Note: Seeds #1 and #2 in no way strictly define area volleyball, because there are some #3s, like Versailles (Div. V), that are going to be a tough out for anyone who doesn’t bring the talent and motivation of the Tigers. They finished just 12-10 for the regular season, but Versailles also played the MAC tough, and handed Tipp City’s its only loss of the season.
Fort Recovery is another #3 that stands to raise some eyebrows. And Miami East (Div. V) is 16-6 and a #4 seed, and past back-to-back champions, as is #3 seed Jackson Center (Div. VII). Three-time state winner Lehman is a #6 seed, but there are nights when they play much better than a #6. Coach Carolyn Dammeyer hopes they catch about four of those nights in a row.
And Marion Local in Division VI, at 16-6, is a #4 seed in Region 24, Northwest 5, to give you an idea about how tough Division VI is in west-central Ohio.
If we’ve missed someone, don’t despair. Just make your own case over the next three weeks and we’ll put it in our book for a future column.