Ursuline Academy girls volleyball wins OHSAA D1 championship
CINCINNATI — It鈥檚 almost like a reflex reaction 鈥� ball hits floor, players and coaches leap high, then collapse into a celebratory pile 鈥� a moment that is over in seconds, but lasts a lifetime.
Four days after it happened for her team, Ursuline Academy volleyball coach Ali Butcher was still trying to find the words to describe the emotions she felt when her Lions won the Ohio Division I state championship Nov. 12, defeating 2021 champion Rocky River Magnificat in four sets 鈥� none decided by more than four points.
The state title is Ursuline鈥檚 third in six seasons (2017 and 2018) and seventh overall (1993, 2002, 2009 and 2012). Before the school celebrated its champions in a pep rally, Butcher talked about the accomplishment.
鈥淚 think it was like pinch-me moment. I think I’m still living it a little bit too, but it’s just been really fun to see the girls and see their dreams kind of come true with all this,” the third-year coach said.
Ursuline won its last 13 matches 鈥� including seven in the postseason, but it was that final defeat, Sept. 29 at home vs. archrival Mount Notre Dame, that may have propelled the Lions. The Cougars 鈥� a perennial thorn in Ursuline鈥檚 side 鈥� eliminated the Lions from postseason play in 2016, 2019 and 2020 (Ursuline defeated MND in the regional finals in 2017 and 2018).
That night, the teams traded sets, MND winning the first and third; Ursuline the second and fourth. MND then clinched the match with a 15-8 fifth-set victory. That was the last time Ursuline left the court a loser.
鈥淲e started talking a lot about mindset, and how to propel through games, especially in the last five points when it gets kind of close, which was kind of similar to the last few sets with Magnificat,鈥� Butcher said. 鈥淎nd I think when we started focusing in on that, on how to execute on those last five points, that’s really the turning point for our team. And once we kind of came over that hurdle, I think it was kind of like, OK, we got this. We can kind of push forward a little bit more and focus on that. Physically we have a lot of talent, but the mental piece was huge for us.鈥�
Two nights later, the Lions swept Magnificat in Rocky River, and closed the circle in the state finals, after again knocking off the Cougars in the regional semifinals.
The Ursuline community celebrated the team at a Nov. 16 assembly in the school鈥檚 gymnasium 鈥� and each group had a part on the victory.
Athletic Director Colleen O鈥橞rien began by thanking school administration for its support, the cast and crew of the school鈥檚 fall production, 鈥淪eussical The Musical,鈥� for 鈥渟haring the weekend with the volleyball team. Becky White, our trainer, who kept our volleyball team on the court and healthy and sane. To our parents, for your team meals, your heart attacks, your cheers, your tears and all of the celebrations you did with these ladies.
鈥淔inally, to our coaches for their endless hours, for all of the time they put in starting back in May. I don鈥檛 think I can thank you enough for everything you do for these ladies.鈥�
Butcher then singled out the student cheer section leaders for 鈥渟etting the tone鈥� throughout the week before the state tournament, from a Wednesday pep rally to a 鈥渨hite out鈥� at the Friday semifinals and a 鈥渟ea of green鈥� at the finals. Senior defensive specialist/libero Sydney Breissinger also praised the student body for its endless support, and presented a signed match ball and the state championship trophy to Principal Jill Hallahan.
鈥淥n Friday I was completely overwhelmed. It hit me when I left the game on Friday and jumped in the car and drove back for the musical Friday night 鈥� it hit me during act one Friday night when I realized the amount of talent, love, passion and support that I would see in the span of six hours for a school size compared to some of the 鈥� schools we were playing,鈥� Hallahan said.
She then shared a message she received, via voicemail, from the principal of Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School, which won the Division II title, thanking Ursuline students who joined the Latin cheering section. 鈥淵our students really helped turn the tide during the fourth set, spurring us on to victory,鈥� the message said.
Hallahan then continued the Ursuline tradition of granting a free day when a team wins a state championship 鈥� in this case, Monday, Feb. 13, the day after Super Bowl LVII.
Each year, Butcher lets her seniors select a word that best describes the team. That word, in 2022, was 鈥減assion.鈥�
鈥淎nd I think you saw a lot of that with our team,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he other thing that I kind of preach is just being relentless. I think that was another thing that we did with our team was just having relentless mentality of moving forward, and not necessarily letting anything derail us in any given moment.鈥�
Passion and relentlessness 鈥� both were on full display at the school Nov. 16.
2022 Ursuline volleyball roster
Seniors 鈥� Erin Gonzalez, Abby Riehle, Sydney Breissinger, Molly Groschen, Broke Bultema, Lindsey Greene, Maddie Pitzer, Joanna Ferris.
Juniors 鈥� Maya Brausch, Julia McWaters, Leah Wiley.
Sophomores 鈥� Katie Gielas, Alysa Smith, Lindy Radaszewski.
Freshmen 鈥� Ella Grimes.
Coaches 鈥� Ali Butcher (head coach), Lizaiha Renfro (varsity assistant), Courtney Grafton (junior varsity head coach), Annie Juenger (junior varsity assistant), Kelly Cameron (freshman head coach), Bobby Lanzit (freshman assistant).
Managers 鈥� Caroline Dressing, Allison Clark, Maria Lea.
Student coach 鈥� Emily Thornton.
Trainer – Becky White (Beacon Tri-Health).
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