Olmsted Falls takes Division I state title

Shawna Kelly, OhioHSsports.com, November 08, 2008 4:02 p.m.

Going undefeated on the season, in the southwestern conference and in five game matches were Olmsted Falls' three goals for the 2008 volleyball season. The Bulldogs (29-0) completed the first two of their goals when they beat Cincinnati Ursuline Academy Saturday at Wright State University's Nutter Center in Dayton to become Olmsted Falls' first volleyball team ever to win the Division I state championship.

"I was just like 'I'm a state champion," senior Lauren Whyte of Olmsted Falls said. "I played it over in my mind so many times...To do it with this group of girls, it was amazing."

It may have taken Olmsted Falls (29-0) four games to beat the Lions (28-1), but the Bulldogs clearly set the tone for the match with a win in an intense 39-37 Game 1 victory.

The crowd erupted from an attack error on senior Christine Peffer of Olmsted Falls that tied the game at 24. From there the teams volleyed the score back-and-forth tying it up 13 more times before the Bulldogs finally sealed the deal with a kill by senior Brittany Snider.

"We were fighting in the end there and I'm proud of (the team) for that," Olmsted Falls coach Dawn Moses said. "It took the air out of (Ursuline's) tires."

Olmsted Falls took its momentum into Game 2 with a commanding 25-16 win. Ursuline came back in Game 3 25-21. The final game of the match was far from close as the Bulldogs finished off the Lions 25-12.

Whyte attacked the net with 36 kills for the Bulldogs. She also added 22 digs, 2 blocks and 4 assists. Sophomore Dayna Roberts (63 assists, 23 digs and 2 kills) and Snider (19 kills, 17 digs, 3 blocks and 1 assist) also contributed to Olmsted Fall's victory.

Junior Jade Henderson (14 kills, 2 assists, 4 blocks and 17 digs) and sophomore Kori Moster (39 digs) led for the Lions.