Cougars return to state looking for third straight title – News-Herald

No matter what division it is, the Lake Catholic volleyball team is determined to collect all the trophies.

The Cougars defeated Elyria Catholic 25-12, 25-15, 25-11 to win the Division V Berkshire regional title on Nov. 2.

With the win, Lake Catholic (22-4) will advance to next week’s state tournament, where the Cougars hope to win the Division V trophy in addition to the two Division III trophies they have won the past two seasons.

Three in the cards?

“We’re very excited,” senior Natalia Bergant said. “I think we’re ready for this.”

When Bergant hit an ace for the game-clinching moment, Lake Catholic’s bench emptied to the floor in honor of a regional championship and another state berth – one some thought out of reach with the graduation of six decorated seniors and a new head coach.

“A lot of people said we couldn’t do it,” coach Tess Connelly said. “We proved them all wrong. I’m proud of the girls and how hard they have worked over the past few months.

“No matter what division we are in, we will work as hard as we can and try to succeed.”

After two losses to Lake Catholic in the regular season, Elyria Catholic (20-7) tried to turn things around in the third round. But this did not happen. Bergant had seven kills and blocks in the first set, and EC had a hard time finding momentum the rest of the day.

“We knew not to underestimate them,” senior Julia Oster said. “We had to show a lot of energy.”

The Panthers came out with a vengeance in the second set and held the lead thanks to a kill from Clara Kilgore. But Oster scored a pair of points, including an ace, to give Lake a lead it never relinquished.

EC was within two points at 11-9 in the second set before Lake went on a 12-2 run. Anna Bergant had a kill and a block kill, followed by a great serve from her sister Natalia.

EC coach Lori Cogan lamented that she was unable to maintain the momentum, but credited Lake Catholic for that shortcoming.

“My kids made some good shots and when we did they got blocked,” she said. “(Lake Catholic) spread the ball all over the court. They are very difficult to protect. They do everything very, very well.”

Once again, EC came out strong in the third set and held a 6-5 lead thanks to three Lake Catholic serving errors. But again, once Lake Catholic got back on its feet, there was little the Panthers could do to stop it.

PHOTO: Lake Catholic vs. Elyria Catholic Volleyball, November 2, 2024

Avery Budrys-Rini recorded a kill, her sister hit a perfect serve, and Lake Catholic never trailed again. Natalia Bergant scored the final three points, with two kills from Ava Budrys-Rini and one from Anna Bergant setting up the final serve.

Connelly praised Elyria Catholic’s talent, coaching and hard work, calling the Panthers a “terrific team.” But her pre-match message came through.

“The big message for the girls was to start off strong,” she said. “Show them who we are. Show them what we can do.”

The EU found this out the hard way.

“They are ranked No. 1 in the state and absolutely deserve that ranking,” Kogan said. “They’re good. They are REALLY good. If we played them 10 times, we could get one win. I’m proud of our kids, but today we were beaten by a stronger team.”

Originally published: November 2, 2024 4:50 pm ET