SPORTS
A8 • CCF RECORDER • SEPTEMBER 27, 2012
COMMUNITY
RECORDER
Editor: Melanie Laughman, mlaughman@communitypress.com, 513-248-7573
HIGH SCHOOL | YOUTH | RECREATIONAL
CommunityPress.com
Bellevue digs into volleyball scene
By Adam Turer
presspreps@gmail.com
BELLEVUE — Led by an experienced lineup and an intense offseason training program, Bellevue High School’s volleyball team is having one of its best seasons in years. The Tigers started the season 14-8 thanks in large part to the fact that there were no seniors on the 2011 roster. With so much experience back in 2012, the team set high goals for itself this year. “The girls are 100 percent focused on winning, rather than
getting used to playing with each other,” head coach Brittany Finch said. “They know we have a good team. They’ve played together for two years now.” The Tigers are led by a trio of seniors. Outside hitter Kendall Schmits has played on the varsity since she was in seventh grade. Setter Jennifer Sexton and outside hitter Makenzie Phelps are starting on varsity for the third straight year. “We have three really strong seniors,” said Finch. Schmits and Phelps gained valuable experience this past offseason when they joined a
club volleyball team. Traveling around the nation playing with and against some of the top volleyball players in the country was an eye-opening experience for them. “I think it helped with their awareness more than anything,” said Finch. A pair of eighth-graders have stepped into big roles this season. Setter Linzie Murphy and middle hitter Courtney Schmits have emerged as key starters for the Tigers. With Sexton graduating after this season, she has groomed Murphy to be the team’s setter of the future.
Norse volleyball makes waves in A-Sun By James Weber jweber@nky.com
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS — Sept. 18 was both a gut-check and a confidence booster for the Northern Kentucky University volleyball team. The Norse lost a heartbreaking five-set match to Lipscomb, dropping the fifth and deciding set16-14. That match was the first home contest in Regents Hall for NKU as an NCAA Division I member, and its first match in the Atlantic Sun Conference. At the same time, it was a narrow loss to a Lipscomb team that drove up from Nashville having won the last three conference titles in the A-Sun and wearing the mantle of preseason favorite this year. So, as far as moral victories go, it was a lopsided score. “That was one of the best feelgood games of my life,” NKU freshman hitter Jayden Julian said. “The fans were crazy. Lipscomb was picked to win the conference again, so it helped give us a gauge of how good the teams are in the A-Sun.” More importantly, the Norse took points and pointers from that moral win and used them to win their first two conference matches Sept. 21-22, beating North Florida and Jacksonville in Regents Hall. The Norse left their home gym with a 2-1 conference record and 14-2 overall. “It’s been an awesome feeling,” senior setter Jenna Schreiver said. “We’ve been playing well with the transition. We’ve been unfamiliar with these teams but we’ve handled the situation pretty well and I’m really proud of my team.” Bouncing back from the Lipscomb loss was crucial, said head coach Liz Hart, a former NKU standout. “We knew Lipscomb was going to be tough and the key was being able to come back and respond,” she said. “We talked about not letting it get us down. It comes down to experience and playing a lot of games. There have been a couple of times this year that we’ve been down and been able to pull it together.” Against Jacksonville Sept. 22, the Norse won the first two sets but lost a late lead to fall in Set 3. The Norse then had to rally from behind in set four, and after the teams were tied at 23, the Norse won the final two points to end the match. The two wins should help the Norse as they prepare to head to central Georgia this week to face Kennesaw State and Mercer in ASun matches. As new members of Division I, the Norse cannot play in the postseason but are eligible to win the regular season conference title.
“Linzie has been a great complement to Jennifer,” said Finch. “Jennifer has really helped mentor Linzie.” Bellevue lacks height across the frontline, but the younger Schmits makes up for it with her athleticism. “We don’t have a lot of height,” said Finch, “but Courtney can jump through the roof.” With the entire roster returning and a change in the rules extending games to best of five matches, Finch and her staff made changes to the team’s preseason plan. The team focused more on weightlifting and run-
ning and held its open gyms earlier in the summer than it had in past years. “We changed our preseason routine to help build more endurance,” said Finch. “It has really helped us with the five-match games we’ve played.” While 14-8 is a good mark for the program, the Tigers are not satisfied yet. They hope to finish the season strong and make a run in the postseason. “We had some losses that we could have turned around,” said Finch. “Now, it’s all about finishing strong when the going gets tough.”
PRESS PREPS HIGHLIGHTS By James Weber jweber@nky.com
This Week’s MVP
» Brossart senior Emily Greis for 16 aces and 24 digs against Scott in a volleyball win. » NewCath senior Maria Froendhoff for a big game in a win over Highlands in volleyball.
Volleyball
» Brossart defeated new district rival Scott 22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-20 Sept. 18 to improve to 15-6. Emily Greis had a phenomenal 16 aces with 24 digs. Tori Hackworth posted nine kills. » NewCath beat Highlands 17-25, 25-8, 25-19, 25-15 Sept. 18. Maria Froendhoff had 39 digs. Whitney Fields posted 13 kills.
Boys soccer
» Brossart beat Highlands 1-0 Sept. 18. Jordan Frommeyer had the goal and David Paulin the shutout. Brossart is 14-1 through Sept. 22. » Highlands beat NewCath 2-0 Sept. 22. Cole Davis-Roberts and Ethan Schmits had the goals and Nick Breslin the shutout. NKU freshman Jayden Julian (Independence, Ky./Holy Cross) gets a kill. NKU beat Jacksonville 3-1 to improve to 2-1 in Atlantic Sun Conference volleyball Sept. 22. JAMES WEBER/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER
Girls soccer
» Campbell County beat Beechwood 1-0 Sept. 19. Taylor Robinson scored the goal and Bryanna Schroers had the shutout.
Boys golf
» Newport Central Catholic won the Division II championship in the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference tournament Sept. 17. Drew McDonald was individual medalist with a 73. NCC shot 306 overall.
Girls golf
» Brossart’s Lauren Seiter was fifth in the NKAC tourney with a 90.
Cross country
NKU senior setter Jenna Schreiver (Edgewood/Notre Dame) tries to save the ball. NKU beat Jacksonville 3-1 to improve to 2-1 in Atlantic Sun Conference volleyball Sept. 22. JAMES WEBER/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER “Our main goal is to win the conference title,” Schreiver said. “We definitely can do it. We have a good feeling about the conference. The game on Tuesday (Lipscomb) showed us we’re a good team and we can compete in this conference.” The Norse weren’t sure what to expect this season as they stepped up to all-new foes. NKU was picked to finish eighth in the preseason A-Sun coaches poll, but it’s likely that most voters had no idea what to expect from the newcomers, either.
“We knew we would be pretty good after our great spring season and knowing we have a lot of returners coming back, so the experience has been a big part of our success,” Hart said. “We spend a lot of time watching film and that helps us keep working harder and know we have to play our game to be successful. If we keep playing our system we can put ourselves in a good position at the end of the season.” Schreiver, a former Notre See NKU, Page A9
» Highlands won the girls title in the Campbell County championships Sept. 18 at A.J. Jolly Park. Lauren Ossege won the meet, followed by teammates Molly Mearns and Sydney Ossege as Highlands claimed five of the first six spots. Brossart finished second, led by Olivia Johnston in seventh. Campbell County‘s Jennah Flairty finished fourth. » In the boys meet at the Campbell County championships, NewCath edged Brossart 41-49. Brossart’s Michael Caldwell won the individual title. Chris Loos was fourth. NCC’s Patrick Allen finished third and Connor Bartels fifth. Highlands’ John Michael Griffith finished second overall.
Newport Central Catholic’s Loren Zimmerman (14) battles for control of the ball against Notre Dame Academy Jamie Bramlage (12). JOSEPH FUQUA II/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER
Campbell‘s top finisher was Mark Chaplin in sixth. Dayton’s Chris Johnson was 11th.
NKU Notes
» A season-opening trip to the west coast, a game against powerful Ohio State and a road encounter with two-time national champion San Francisco highlight Northern Kentucky University’s 2012-13 men’s basketball schedule as it tips off its inaugural year of NCAA Division I play. In addition, NKU visits Lubbock, Texas, Dec. 4 to take on Texas Tech of the Big12 Conference. That will mark the Norse’s first-ever trip to the state of Texas. The Norse begin the season by traveling to California to participate in the four-game National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation Challenge at the University of San Diego. NKU meets host San Diego (13-18 last season) on Nov. 14, followed by games against Tulsa (Nov. 15), Siena (Nov. 17) and CalState Northridge (Nov. 18). “The tournament in San Diego will be a big-time test because we have to play four games in five days, and the teams involved are going to be very good,” NKU head coach Dave Bezold said. “It’s a challenging way to begin our first season as a Division I program, but we should learn a great deal about our team during that tournament.” On Dec. 1, NKU travels to Columbus, Ohio, to battle Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State in Value City Arena. It will mark the first regular-season meeting between the two programs. The Norse and Buckeyes played in an exhibition game in 2004, with Ohio State pulling out a 77-67 victory in Columbus. A year ago, Ohio State posted a 31-8 record and advanced to the NCAA Final See HIGHLIGHT, Page A9