ESPNHS Volleyball

By ESPNHS

From personal triumphs to dominant dynasties, high school girls’ volleyball had plenty to celebrate in 2011. We look back on some of the year’s top stories before ringing in 2012:

Champions back for seconds
Led by juniors Amber Rolfzen, Kadie Rolfzen and Kelly Hunter, all University of Nebraska commits, Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Neb.) won back-to-back national championships and stretched its winning streak to 82 games, including a five-set, come-from-behind thriller against No. 4 St. James (Lenexa, Kan.) on the road in early October. And it might not be time quite yet to close the book on the Heartland dynasty. “We want a three-peat,” Hunter says of 2012.

Dressed for success
Donning a helmet and pads to help prevent a recurrence of blood clots that formed after she had her tonsils removed, senior Katie George helped Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) win the Durango Fall Classic title in Las Vegas. The Louisville commit went on to lead Assumption to the Asics Challenge championship and, no longer needing her protective gear, the Kentucky state championship. She was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year in Kentucky, while Assumption (43-1) finished third in the final POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings for 2011.

Honoring a fallen teammate
Playing in honor of teammate Caroline Found, Iowa City West repeated as state champions with a dramatic five-set win over cross-city rival Iowa City. Found, a setter who would have been a senior this year, died after a moped accident on Aug. 11."Everybody who didn’t have a friend knew her," coach Kathy Bresnahan said. "She embraced everyone."

Big season in Texas
With a perfect 50-0 record, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) becomes the first undefeated state champion in Texas since 2004. The Cavaliers, who dropped only a single set all season, were led by senior outside hitter Amy Neal, who won state MVP honors and was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year in Texas. Lake Travis finished No. 2 in the final POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings for 2011.

End of an era
Wapahani (Selma, Ind.) stunned superpower Muncie Burris in the opening round of the Indiana sectional playoffs. With the four-set win, the Raiders ended Muncie Burris’ 14-year reign as state champions and halted its playoff winning streak at 95 matches. Wapahani didn’t stop there, going on to clinch the Class 2A title with a sweep of Eastern Greene.

Taking it to the beach
After the NCAA made sand volleyball an emerging sport in 2011-12, high school players looked to capitalize on an additional scholarship source. Arizona followed suit and will launch a sand volleyball pilot program in 2012, making it the first state to offer the sport at the high school level.

Grand finales in California
The California state championships brought the 2011 girls’ volleyball season to a rousing conclusion. In the Division II final, Presentation (San Jose, Calif.) rallied from two sets down to claim the crown. In Division I, Palo Alto was pushed to five sets but became the first Northern California volleyball team to win back-to-back Division I state titles and the first team in school history to notch back-to-back CIF state titles.

Thanks for coming
Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.) skipped the pleasantries and upset undefeated Berkeley Prep, at the time the No. 3 team in the nation, on the eve of hosting the prestigious Asics Challenge. Berkeley Prep got some measure of revenge the following day, topping Mother McAuley in straight sets in a rematch in the semifinals before falling to Assumption in the final.

Boys race to the finish
In one of the tightest races ever, Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.) was crowned the FAB 50 national champions for boys’ volleyball, edging fellow California powers Mira Costa, Buchanan, Santa Margarita and Mater Dei. The Sea Kings finished their season with a 32-4 record.

Sky High in Florida
Sky High Black of Crystal Lake, Ill., won the 17U title at the 38th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships, part of the inaugural ESPNHS Girls Showcase at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., in June. It was the second consecutive national title for the squad, which was led by seniors Abby Gilleland and Mary Striedl.

ESPNHS

State championships and the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions had the biggest impacts on this week's POWERADE FAB 50 national volleyball rankings.

In California at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.) showed what it could do with a team at full strength by winning the title. The Dons, who were unranked a week ago, went up to No. 27 .

Meanwhile, several of the nation's elite teams completed their seasons with state titles, including No. 3 Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) and No. 4 St. James (Lenexa, Kan.).

Click here for the full Week 9 rankings.

By Walter Villa


Many of the nation’s top teams have stated their case.

Eleven states crowned their 2011 volleyball champions this past weekend, and several of the teams in the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings lived up to the hype.

Seven more states will hand out hardware by the end of the week.

Here are some highlights from last weekend:

No. 3 Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) won the Kentucky state title to cap an amazing season. The Rockets also won two other major tournaments, the Durango Fall Classic in Las Vegas and the Asics Challenge in Chicago. Assumption’s Katie George was the MVP in Las Vegas and at state, and may have pulled the triple had the Chicago tournament chosen such an honor.

No. 4 St. James (Lenexa, Kan.) won its fourth straight state title. The only match the Thunder lost this season was to No. 1 Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Neb.), and that was in five sets.

No. 14 Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) won its fourth straight state title. Senior Shelby Workman, a Kentucky recruit, and Anna Church, a St. Louis recruit, have been standouts on all four state championship teams. The Stags have won 21 state titles.

No. 16 Pope (Marietta, Ga.) won its third straight state title.

No. 20 Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii) won the Division I title.

No. 43 Washburn Rural (Topeka, Kan.) won its sixth state title in the past eight years.

No. 44 Fayetteville (Fayetteville, Ark.) won the Class 7A title.

Here's the complete list of champions and schedules for all states:

2011 GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Alabama
Oct. 27:
Class 6A: Huntsville 3, Bob Jones 0
Class 5A: St. Paul's 3, Madison County 0
Class 4A: Guntersville 3, Alexandria 0
Class 3A: Bayside 3, Montgomery Academy 0
Class 2A: Providence Christian 3, Cottage Hill 0
Class 1A: Donoho 3, Addison 2

Alaska
Nov. 10-12 in Wasilla at Menard Sports Complex

Arizona
Nov. 3-5 in Prescott Valley at Tim Toyota Center (Division V to Div. III); Nov. 5-7 in Phoenix at Antelope Gymnasium on the campus of Grand Canyon University (Div. II-Div. I)

Arkansas
Oct. 29
Class 7A: Fayetteville 3, Bentonville 1
Class 6A: Marion 3, Mountain Home 0
Class 5A: Greenwood 3, Little Rock Christian 1
Class 4A: Valley View 3, Jonesboro-Westside 0
Class 3A: Harding Academy 3, Mansfield 1

California
Dec. 3 in Irvine at Concordia University

Colorado
Nov. 11-12 in Denver at Denver Coliseum

Connecticut
Nov. 18-19 at a site to be determined

Delaware
Nov. 13 in Newark at the Bob Carpenter Center

Florida
Nov. 15-19 in Kissimmee at the Silver Spurs Arena

Georgia
Oct. 29
Class 5A: Walton 3, Harrison 2
Class 4A: Pope 3, Whitewater 1
Class 3A: Sandy Creek 3, St. Pius 0
Class 2A: Eagle’s Landing Christian 3, Greater Atlanta Christian 2

Hawaii
Oct. 29
Division I: Punahou 3, Kamehameha-Kapalama 0
Division II: St. Francis 3, Leilehua 0

Idaho
Oct. 29
Class 5A: Idaho Falls 3, Post Falls 1
Class 4A: Century 3, Skyview 1
Class 3A: Snake River 3, Fruitland 2
Class 2A: West Side 3, Butte County 2
Class 1A (Division i):Troy 3, Genesee 1
Class 1A (Division II): Camas County 3, Dietrich 0

Illinois
Nov. 11-12 in Normal at Redbird Arena

Indiana
Nov. 5 in Muncie at Worthen Arena on the campus of Ball State University

Iowa
Nov. 9-12 in Cedar Rapids at Cedar Rapids Ice Arena

Kansas
Oct 29
Class 6A: Washburn Rural 2, Blue Valley North 1
Class 5A: Bishop Miege 2, Newton 0
Class 4A: St. James 2, McPherson 0
Class 3A: Hillsboro 2, Hoisington 0
Class 2A: Olpe 2, Washington County 1
Class 1A (Diviison I):St. John 2, Centralia 1
Class 2A (Division II): Baileyville B&B 2, Norwich 1

Kentucky
Assumption 2, Greenwood 0

Louisiana
Nov. 10-12 in Kenner at Pontchartrain Center

Maine
Oct. 29
Class A: Greely 3, Scarborough 1
Class B: Yarmouth 3, Bucksport 0

Maryland
Nov. 14-19 in College Park at Ritchie Coliseum on the campus of the University of Maryland

Massachusetts
Nov. 19 at a site to be determined

Michigan
Nov. 17-19 in Battle Creek at Kellogg Arena

Minnesota
Nov. 10-12 in Saint Paul at Xcel Energy Center

Mississippi
Oct. 15
Class 1: Lewisburg 3, Our Lady Academy 1
Class II: Long Beach 3, Hernando 0
Class III: Hancock 3, Tupelo2

Missouri
Nov. 4-5 in Cape Girardeau at the Show Me Center on the campus of Southeast Missouri State

Montana
Nov. 10-12 in Bozeman at Breeden Fieldhouse on the campus of Montana State University

Nebraska
Nov. 10-12 in Grand Island at the Heartland Event Center

Nevada
Nov. 11-12 in Las Vegas at Chaparral High School and Silverado High School.

New Hampshire
Nov. 1-5 in Derry at Pinkerton Academy (Division I and II) and Plymouth at Plymouth State University (Division III)

New Jersey
Nov. 12 for the state finals in Wayne on the campus of William Patterson University; Nov. 19-20 for the tournament of champions at the same location

New Mexico
Nov. 10-12 in Rio Rancho at the Santa Ana Star Center

New York
Nov. 19-20 in Glenn Falls at the Glenn Falls Civic Center

North Carolina
Nov. 5 in Raleigh at Reynolds Coliseum

North Dakota
Nov. 17-19 in Fargo at the FargoDome

Ohio
Nov. 10-12 in Fairborn at the Nutter Center on the campus of Wright State University

Oklahoma
Oct. 15
Class 6A: Bishop Kelley 3, Edmond North 0
Class 5A: Cascia Hall 3, Heritage Hall 2
Class 4A: Lincoln Christian 3, Cache 2

Oregon
Nov. 11-12 in Hillsboro at Liberty High School (6A-5A); in Eugene at Lane Community College (4A-3A); in Forest Grove at Pacific University (2A, 1A)

Pennsylvania
Nov. 11-12 in York at Central York High School

Rhode Island
Nov. 8-12 in Kingston at the University of Rhode Island

South Carolina
Nov. 5 in Lexington at White Knoll High School

South Dakota
Nov. 17-19 in Sioux Falls at Sioux Falls Arena

Tennessee
Oct. 28
Class A: Friendship Christian 3, Summertown 0
Class AA: Page 3, Goodpasture 2
Class AAA: Ravenwood 3, Independence 0
Division II Class A: St. George’s 3, St. Cecilia 0
Division II Class AA: Ensworth 3, Baylor 0

Texas
Nov. 17-19 in San Marcos at the Strahan Coliseum on the campus of Texas State University

Utah
Oct. 29
Class 3A: Morgan 3, Snow Canyon 0
Class 2A: Richfield 3, San Juan 1
Class 1A: Monticello 3, Rich 1
Nov. 4-5in Orem at Utah Valley University (5A-4A)

Virginia
Nov. 17-19 in Richmond at the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University

Washington
Nov. 11-12 in Yakima at the Yakima Sundome (1B, 2B, 1A); in Olympia at Evergreen State College (2A); in Lacey at St. Martin’s College and Timberline High School (Class 3A, 4A)

West Virginia
Nov. 11-12 in Charleston at the Charleston Civic Center

Wisconsin
Nov. 3-5 in Green Bay at the Resch Center

Wyoming
Oct. 29
Class 4A: Kelly Walsh 3, Cheyenne East 0
Class 3A: Cody 3, Douglas 1
Class 2A: Wright 3, Lovell 0
Class 1A: Cokeville 3, Kaycee 0

By Kirstin Olsen


A power struggle took place between Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) and Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) in the final of the Asics Challenge. Check out some of the big points and bigger hits, plus an interview with Assumption libero Chelsea Bowles.

By Walter Villa

2011 Asics Challenge Photo Gallery

CHICAGO, Ill. – Liberated from the pressure of an undefeated season, Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) has been delivering punishment to every opponent it has faced the past month.

On Saturday, it was the No. 3 team in the nation that got in their way.

No. 5 Assumption smashed Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) 25-17, 25-21 to win the 24-team Asics Challenge, which featured nine teams ranked in the POWERADE FAB 50.

It is the 11^th time in the past 16 years that the Rockets have won the Asics Challenge.

It is also the second straight elite tournament the No. 5 Rockets (32-1) have swept this season; the first was the 48-team Durango Fall Classic Sept. 16-17 in Las Vegas, Nev.

All of this has happened after the Rockets lost to No. 46 Chattahoochee (Johns Creek, Ga.), in three sets on Sept. 10.

“We’ve been playing great since then,” said Assumption senior Taylor Long, a 5-10 outside hitter. “We’ve been playing free.”

It wasn’t quite free for No. 3 Berkeley (16-2) this week. The Bucs’ two losses – they also fell to No. 35 Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.) on Thursday – will likely cost them in the rankings.

Berkeley coach Randy Dagostino said his team’s 14 service errors – about a dozen more than usual – were the biggest factor in the loss to McAuley.

“I’m going to take the blame for that,” Dagostino said. “I had been telling our girls to serve aggressively.

“But look, finishing undefeated has never been a goal of mine. I’ve never gone undefeated in 28 years of coaching. If undefeated was my goal, I’d never leave Florida.”

Since the loss to McAuley, Berkeley made sure to get its serves in, allowing setter Mackenzie Dagostino, a Maryland recruit, to distribute to Stanford commit Jordan Burgess and rising 5-11 sophomore star Sidney Brown.

That strategy worked well until they faced Assumption, which played stellar defense to win back the title it lost in 2010.

“We’re not very large on the outside, but I was very impressed with our defense,” Assumption coach Ron Kordes said. “We touched a lot of balls on (Burgess). We slowed her balls down. If you don’t, you are only going to dig her so much.”

Kordes said 6-3 junior Taylor Paulson was an active blocker, and the coach also praised his team’s depth. He used 11 players on Saturday, which is about his norm with this team.

Not lost in all the glory was the back-row specialists, 5-4 senior Chelsea Bowles and 5-8 juniors London Ackerman and Kaelin Grimes.

No MVP was picked for the tournament, but more than a couple people came away mighty impressed with Bowles.

“Chelsea was on it,” Long said. “She was here, she was there, she was everywhere.

“We don’t come across big hitters like (Burgess) very often. But when we do, Chelsea, London and Kaelin always step up.”

Senior setter Katie George, the only Assumption standout who made the six-player all-tournament team, said the Rockets’ back row frustrated Burgess, who had no kills in the first set before nailing nine in the second.

“As a hitter, you become impatient when you don’t get kills right off the bat,” said George, who has recovered from the blood clots she suffered this past summer and played for the first time this weekend without her protective helmet. “Our defense was outstanding.”

Paulson also spoke in glowing terms of the Rockets’ defense and seemed to be somewhat amazed by how her team thwarted some high-caliber players.

“We shut down their outside hitters, and they are not used to that,” Paulson said. “I mean, look at them – Stanford (Burgess) … come on!”

Coming on is exactly what the Rockets have been doing since losing to Chattahoochee. No coach ever wants to lose a match, but Kordes said he is happy his girls no longer have that stress.

“It’s real difficult to stay undefeated,” he said. “We’ve done it a couple times, but the pressure on the girls is terrible, monumental. Now we can just play.”

By Walter Villa

Eli Manning is, in effect, the quarterback of the volleyball team at Huntley (Huntley, Ill.).

Manning’s name is pronounced exactly the same as the New York Giants quarterback – but they’re not related. And while the Giants’ Manning is famous for engineering a huge Super Bowl upset over the New England Patriots, his volleyball-playing namesake and her teammates scored a major surprise last week when they beat Cary-Grove (Cary, Ill.), snapping its 61-match regular-season win streak.

Huntley lost the first set and trailed 15-7 in the second before rallying for a 21-25, 25-23, 25-22 victory.

“That’s one of the best high school matches I’ve ever coached,” said Michelle Jakubowski, who is in her sixth year running the Huntley program.

Manning, a 5-foot-8 setter, is one of five key seniors on the team, all of whom are at least second-year starters. The others are 5-8 libero Amy Dion, who committed to Maryland; 5-11 outside hitter Sam Boesch, who is a Wake Forest recruit; 5-9 outside hitter Ashley Smith; and 6-1 middle blocker Jaina Jackson.

The victory over Cary-Grove got national attention and vaulted Huntley to No. 41 in the most recent POWERADE FAB 50 poll.

On Friday, the Huntley Red Raiders (14-0) will make their first-ever appearance at the Asics Challenge at Mother McAuley in Chicago. They will need to slay more giants if they expect to emerge on top of a 24-team field that includes eight other members of the FAB 50.

Here is a quick look at the top teams that will be competing with Huntley in Chicago this weekend:
(Note: Updated on Sept. 29 to reflect Week 4 rankings):

No. 3 Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.): The Bucs won the 2010 Florida state title in five sets over Bishop Moore (Orlando, Fla.), and they won their own Premier tournament this past weekend, beating – who else? – No. 28 Bishop Moore in five sets in the final. Berkeley Prep is off to an 11-0 start.

No. 5 Assumption (Louisville, Ky.): The Rockets (27-1) have won 10 of the past 15 Asics Challenges, never failing to earn the title more than one year in a row. And since Cary-Grove won Asics last year, Assumption may be due for another top prize. Already this year they captured the Durango Fall Classic title in Las Vegas, Nev.

No. 26 Joliet Catholic Academy (Joliet, Ill.): The Hilltoppers went 34-8 last season and finished second at state. They had some injuries earlier this season but are still 13-0. They’re finally healthy and could be a threat.

No. 31 Martin County (Stuart, Fla.): The Tigers (11-1) finished second this past weekend in their own tournament, the East Coast Challenge. They lost 25-22, 25-18 in the final to No. 18 Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).

No. 35 Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.): The tournament hosts won't just lay out the welcome mat. With an 11-2 record, they go from unranked to No. 35 this week.

No. 37 Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.): The Valkyries (21-6) have lost their two matchups against Assumption so far this season but had a good showing in Las Vegas, Nev., where they finished ninth in the 48-team Durango Fall Classic.

No. 38 Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.): The Sailors (15-3) boast top setter Cinnamon Sary. The 5-10 senior committed to Southern Cal, where she will join former Newport teammate Kelly Burnham. In 2009, the duo led Newport to a state title. Last year, the Sailors made it to the state quarterfinals.

No. 39 Marist (Chicago, Ill.): The Red Hawks (16-2) showed their heart in a win over Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.) earlier this month. The Hawks trailed 24-21 in the first set but rallied to win 26-24, 25-18.

National powers set to play

Two volleyball programs that have been outstanding since the moment the schools opened their doors will face off on Oct. 5 in a matchup that will help shape this year’s national championship.

No. 1 Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Neb.), which finished 41-0 and No. 1 in last season’s FAB 50, will visit No. 4 St. James (Lenexa, Kansas).

Both schools are relatively new. Papillion-La Vista South opened in 2003 and finished second at state in 2008 and 2009 before breaking through with its first title last year.

St. James opened in 2005 with all freshmen. They played a junior varsity schedule that first year but showed immediate potential, posting a 35-0 record.

In their first two years playing varsity, St. James went 30-10 and 45-1, reaching the state finals in 2007. The Thunder’s first of three straight state titles came in 2008, and their record since ’07 is an impressive 190-7.

St. James’ top player is 5-7 senior setter Paige Brown, the school’s career leader in assists and an Appalachian State recruit. But the Thunder has no players over 6-1.

Papillion has three players committed to the University of Nebraska: setter Kelly Hunter and the 6-3 Rolfzen twins, Amber and Kadie, who were named ESPNHS Sophomores of the Year last season.

By Walter Villa

Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) was undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the POWERADE FAB 50 last year when it ran into Mercy (Louisville, Ky.).

The matchup, which came in the final of Berkeley’s Premier Volleyball Tournament, was won by Mercy in five sets. Mercy won the final set 19-17 to knock the Bucs off the top spot.

This year, Berkeley is ranked third in the FAB 50 and is off to another strong start at 6-0, including a five-set win over 2010 state champ East Lake (Tarpon Springs, Fla.).

But the Bucs will be challenged to an even greater degree this Friday and Saturday when they host the 19th annual Premier tournament. The field will again include Mercy, which is unranked this week but has won the tournament six times in the past eight years.

To his credit, Berkeley coach Randy Dagostino, whose team won the tournament the other two years, keeps inviting Mercy back.

“I’m always looking for teams that will push us and make the tournament better,” Dagostino said.

Dagostino may have “discovered” another such team in No. 18 Chattahoochee (Johns Creek, Ga.). The Cougars went 50-5 last season but really opened eyes this year. They are the only team to beat No. 5 Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) so far this season.

Chattahoochee (25-4) is 5-0 this season against Kentucky teams, including wins over No. 34 Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.) and Mercy.

The other teams entered at the Premier are No. 50 Bishop Moore (Orlando, Fla.); Lake Mary (Lake Mary, Fla.); Leon (Tallahassee, Fla.); Francis Howell (St. Charles, Mo.); and Springstead (Spring Hill, Fla.).

Berkeley is the top seed in the tournament, but Dagostino doesn’t think his team has “clicked” just yet. He’s had to replace three of his seven starters from last season, and Dagostino says star outside hitter Jordan Burgess has yet to hit her peak since returning from Turkey, where she was playing for the U.S. Youth National team.

“She’s had a lot of nagging – I don’t even want to call them injuries,” Dagostino said. “She’s just played a lot of volleyball, and she missed a couple of weeks of jelling with her teammates while she was in Turkey.

“But we’re working hard. We’ll get there.”

Young guns in Vegas

Six underclassmen made the 17-player All-Tournament team last weekend at the Durango Fall Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., including 5-foot-7 freshman opposite hitter Faith Ma’afala of Kamehameha (Honolulu, Hawaii).

Three sophomores made the team: 6-2 outside hitter Brittany Abercrombie of La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.); 6-2 middle blocker Crissy Jonesof Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos, Calif.); and 5-9 setter/outside hitter Alex Filley of Assumption (Louisville, Ky.).

The two juniors on the prestigious team are 6-3 middle blocker Taylor Paulson of Assumption and 5-7 outside hitter Amanda Benson of Xavier (Phoenix, Ariz.).

Glass half full, or half empty?


Los Alamitos coach Dave Huber was pleased with his team’s performance at Durango, especially the way they battled after blowing a 24-21 second-set lead to Marymount (Los Angeles, Calif.) in the semifinal.

“To kind of have one taken from us like that, I didn’t know how we would respond,” Huber said. “But we regained our composure and got to the final. I’m proud of the way we fought back. Our girls were in it physically and mentally.”

Coach Pat McDougall of La Costa Canyon was also feeling good, even after his team lost in the semifinals to Assumption.

“We had only played two matches coming into Las Vegas,” said McDougall, who also praised his new setter, Jordan Robbins, a 5-10 junior. “We didn’t know what to expect, but I’m very happy with the results.”

Meanwhile, Marymount coach Cari Klein was upset her team continued a recent trend of falling behind early only to rally late.

“Our kids gave a great effort,” Klein said after the loss to Los Alamitos. “But we need to get better. We need to block smarter. We seem to think we can give up points and battle back, but we can’t do that against really good teams.”

Senior setter Lauren Fuller was named to the all-tournament team, and Klein praised Fuller’s twin, Manon Fuller, a 6-0 senior outside hitter and said that 6-2 junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Edwards has “come alive.”

The 2011 Durango Fall Classic is in the books. We take a look back at some of the highlights, including the championship match between Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) and Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos, Calif.) and an interview with MVP Katie George.

By Walter Villa
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – There has been no disruption at Assumption (Louisville, Ky.).

After graduating six players from last year’s state championship team – all of whom are now competing in college – the Rockets are still rising.

On Saturday night, Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos, Calif.) felt the full force of the Assumption machine, getting overpowered for much of the Rockets’ 25-13, 25-19 victory in the championship match of the Durango Fall Classic.

Senior setter Katie George, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, helped Assumption lead from wire-to-wire in the first set, and the Rockets fell behind only briefly in the early stages of the second.

“This is just icing on the cake,” George said of the MVP. “The main thing I’m happy about is our team won.”


The Rockets won by doing just about everything right. They utilized their short tip, they slowed Los Alamitos’ 6-foot-2 middle hitter Crissy Jones and they thrived even when offensive plays broke down.

A couple of questionable calls went Assumption’s way, but give the Rockets’ defense credit. They got their hands on just about everything, and their serve seemed to handcuff Los Alamitos.

Assumption, which also won Durango in 2005, is now the first non-California team to win the prestigious event twice.

The Rockets’ success in 2011 has surprised even those in Assumption’s inner circle, who figured the team would suffer – at least initially – without talents such as middle blocker Jeni Houser (Notre Dame), libero Jackie Napper (Kentucky) and setter Courtney Robison (West Virginia).

The other graduated stars were outside hitters Claire Gerwig (Western Michigan) and Taylor Allgeier (Eastern Kentucky) and opposite hitter Laura Purcell (Loyola-Chicago).

“I had my doubts,” George said when asked if she thought the Rockets would be this good this quickly. “But we’re so much further along than where we were last year. We’re jelling as a team. This tournament was exactly what we needed.”

The Rockets (22-1), ranked 13th in the POWERADE FAB 50 national volleyball rankings, have already beaten powers such as Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.), Muncie Burris (Muncie, Ind.) and Muncie Central (Muncie, Ind.).

And that was before Durango. Now you can add wins over tough outs such as Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), No. 30 Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.) and No. 7 Los Alamitos.

“We knew we had some good talent waiting,” coach Ron Kordes said of his returners. “Still, I’ve been impressed with the way the girls have come out and played like veterans right away.”

The 2011 Rockets have four players who have committed to Division I colleges: George (Louisville); senior libero Chelsea Bowles (Tennessee-Martin) and junior defensive specialists Kaelin Grimes (Western Kentucky) and London Ackerman (Georgia Tech).

Other standouts include 5-8 sophomore setter Alexa Filley; 6-3 junior middle blocker Taylor Paulson; 6-0 senior middle blocker Dallas Zimmerman; and 5-10 senior outside hitter Taylor Long.

Kordes said Paulson was an especially big factor on Saturday, but the middle blocker gave credit to the entire team.

“I think our serve and our serve-receive were big,” Paulson said. “We work really hard on serving deep with our floaters. We serve to the outside, and that makes it a lot harder for them to get around the ball, which causes mistakes. That was our tactic, and it worked.”

Assumption lost just one set this weekend, and that came on Saturday morning in a 26-24, 15-25, 25-9 win over Mater Dei.

On the season, Assumption’s only loss came last week against No. 20 Chattahoochee (Johns Creek, Ga.), 27-25, 21-25, 25-19.

“They had these two outside hitters, and we couldn’t stop them,” Paulson of the Georgia team. “They were two awesome players, and they went right over our block. What are you supposed to do?”

Actually, what the Rockets are supposed to do now is celebrate. Paulson said she and her teammates were prepared to have fun Saturday night.

“We are going to walk the Strip, have a little Vegas time,” Paulson said. “It’ll be fun. Dress up, take pictures, stuff like that.”

With the title secured, many of the Assumption players and parents turned their post-game attention to the hometown Louisville Cardinals, who had a Saturday night game at in-state rival Kentucky.

Rooting for Louisville is an especially big passion for George, the Cardinals recruit.

“I’m a huge U of L fan,” George said. “If they beat Kentucky, that would make it a perfect day.”

George’s wish was granted later Saturday night as Louisville won 24-17, snapping a four-game skid in the series against Kentucky.

Somewhere on the Strip, you can bet George and the rest of the Assumption girls were whooping it up.