In 16 seasons, Head Coach Tom Ray has secured three state titles, dating back to 2014 and 2015 and most recently in 2022 behind the heavy arm swing of Caroline Jurevicius. His NDCL Lions were state runner-ups in 2020 and have appeared in more thane 10 straight district final games.
Match photos click here.
In 16 seasons, Head Coach Tom Ray has secured three state titles, dating back to 2014 and 2015 and most recently in 2022 behind the heavy arm swing of Caroline Jurevicius. His NDCL Lions were state runner-ups in 2020 and have appeared in more thane 10 straight district final games.
Ray has always put his team in the best position to win. Even a couple of losses early in the season don’t seem to scare him or his team.
The Lions fell short to Kenston in a 3-2 loss on an Aug. 20 matchup. Two days later, they were swept by Gilmour Academy.
More recently, the Lions were riding on a five-game winning streak, but the Blue Streaks of Magnificat had other plans.
Defensive specialist Kailey Snow got things started for the Blue Streaks when she rattled off back-to-back aces and surged out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set. Senior middle blocker Ava Hills ended the rally with a block out of the middle. Coach Ray would use his first time out early, after trailing 7-2.
If Coach Ray knows anything about volleyball, it is how to develop a young play. A number of successful players have played in the McGarry Gymnasium including Jurevicius, Stephanie Williams and Emily Weigand. Now, freshman outside hitter Frankie Brkic could make her stamp in the starting rotation.
Behind two kills from Brkic and a couple stops in the middle blocker position, the Lions pulled within three behind the serve of senior Grace Gaeta, who rattled off four straight points.
“It’s definitely been a bit of an adjustment for us,” said senior McKenna Morrison on the adjustments on her team’s starting lineups. “We are getting new teammates and we had been with each other last year for a long time, and we clicked. But we have been doing a really good job of learning to click together.”
“We have been picking each other up, especially the underclassmen,” said Marissa Brock on the adjustment her team has been making. “If the underclassmen make a mistake, reassuring them that it’s OK and reminding them they will get the next ball.”
Much of the first set, the Lions were playing from behind. After trailing 21-19, Coach Ray would call his second and final timeout.
After a double block behind Hills and senior McKenna Morrison, followed by an ace by sophomore Sammi Wheeler, the Lions pulled within one, trailing 22-21 late in the first set. On three separate occasions, senior Fiona Greulich put her team on her back with a side-out kill.
The Blue Streaks secured set one, 25-22.
Kailey Snow got things underway in the second set, but a good read on the court from Hills recorded a tip kill to get the Lions on the scoreboard first.
The Blue Streaks and the Lions would exchange points much in the second set, and the Lions were forced to call a timeout after a 3-0 run, extending the Blue Streaks lead to 16-13. A net violation called against Magnificat would stop the run, and back-to-back kills by Brkic would pull the Lions within one.
After a kill from senior right side Marissa Brock, the Lions tied the set up again at 17 apiece. Off of an ace from Lindsay Murphy, the Blue Streaks pushed the Lions to call their second timeout of the set.
The Blue Streaks would come away victorious, 25-19, and lead the match two sets to none.
Coach Ray’s crew could have folded their tails and gave up after a strong showing in the second set, but behind his senior class like Brock and Morrison, the Lions would snag set three, 25-23. Junior libero Abby Tolin sealed the win with an ace.
“During sets one and two, we were not as high in our energy,” Brock said, “and in the beginning of third and four sets, we had so much energy, where we even continued it in the end of the fourth set. We just wanted to win so badly.”
Head Coach Matthew Onweller would be forced to call his first timeout in the evening after tying the set 21-21 with a back-row kill from Greulich.
“We really got into a rhythm after the first set,” said Morrison. “We started to get our groove back in the second set, and then in the third set we just really clicked and finally got comfortable, and we went from there.”
The hot start continued for the Lions and forced Onweller to call a timeout after a 3-0 start in the fourth. Another sideout kill from Greulich finally put the Blue Streaks on the scoreboard.
The Lions would control the ball much in the set, but resilience from Coach Onweller’s team proved to be stronger. His team tied the set up at 18 and 19 when a Lion was called in the net and crossed the centerline.
A little bit of a run from Magnificat would end the set 25-20 and win the match 3-1. Senior middle blocker Ava Carney got a solo stuff to snap the comeback win for the Lions.
Leading the way for the Blue Streaks was senior outside hitter Greulich with 25 kills on 59 swings. Junior Sydney Borowy contributed with 13 kills. Three Blue Streaks recorded three aces on the evening: Borowy, Murphy and Snow.
Carney paced the defense with eight total blocks in the middle, while Snow commanded the back row with 23 digs. Senior setter Chloe Comer dished out 27 assists in the win.
The Lions were paced behind Brkic with 13 kills, and Morrison added 11 to the offense. Grace Daniels contributed with 21 assists, and Selena Moissis added 18.
Tolin led the back row with 24 digs, while Moissis and Daniels each added 11 and nine digs. Tolin also added three aces to the stat line.
The Lions would host conference rival Lake Catholic on Sept. 17 before traveling to Padua on Sept. 19. The Cougars won three out of their last four matchups.
