Notre Dame wins district crown

The Notre Dame volleyball team kept answering Dexter's surges.

The Bulldogs built big leads in both games, and every time the Bearcats tried to creep closer, Notre Dame would answer with a run of its own.

In the end, the Bulldogs were too tough, knocking off Dexter in two games to win the Class 3 District 1 championship Tuesday.

"We tried to use teamwork," Notre Dame junior Meghan Dohogne said. "You're going to mess up sometimes. They're going to put one to the floor. You just have to stay together, use teamwork to motivate each other and someone's got to put one to the floor and get it back."

The Bulldogs improved to 27-5-2 with the 25-18, 25-22 win. They advanced to Saturday's 3 p.m. sectional at De Soto High School.

Notre Dame enjoyed a mental edge entering the title match because it beat Dexter in two games a week ago. But Notre Dame coach Tara Stroup said that advantage also had a drawback.

"I think at the beginning, we probably had more pressure on us," Stroup said. "They hustled a lot in the first game. They were diving and picking everything up. I think it was much easier the second game after winning the first game. We had a little bit of breathing room."

Notre Dame limited its mistakes and took advantage of Shannon Brennan's solid setting. The sophomore finished with 22 assists.

"We had two setters at the beginning of the year, and we went to a 5-1, with her setting because she's pretty reliable and makes good decisions with the ball," Stroup said of Brennan. "She's only a sophomore, but she's already got a year of varsity experience. It will be really nice to have her the next couple of years because she's played a lot."

Dohogne, who led the Bulldogs with eight kills and added five blocks, said Brennan does a good job of putting the ball where the hitters need it. Brennan said the keys to setting are listening and watching.

"You have to watch who your blockers are," Brennan said. "You also have to ask your hitters where they want the set. If you give it to them, they'll put it away."

Brennan admitted it also helped Tuesday that she'd seen Dexter a week ago.

"It helped us to know where the holes were and who their good servers and good hitters were," she said. "That helped us out a lot."

Brennan joined Kelsey Bradshaw and Alyssa Ruopp with nine digs apiece. Bradshaw, a senior, holds the school record for digs.

"She has done a really good job for us," Stroup said. "She's consistent and steady back there."

Lindsay Strieker had six kills and five blocks.

Notre Dame reached the championship match with a lopsided victory against Kennett in the semifinal.

Dohogne had eight kills and four blocks, while Bradshaw recorded 10 digs. Alyssa Ruopp finished with 14 service points, including three aces.

Game scores were 25-7, 25-8.

Now the Bulldogs turn their attention to Saturday's sectional. They lost to Lutheran South in last year's sectional and the 2006 quarterfinals.