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Sports TwitterAlter sweeps West Holmes to reach state title match
Saturday, November 11, 2006
It will be a battle of the top-ranked teams in the Division II state final today as No. 1 Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit High School (27-1) will face off against 25-3 Alter for the state championship.
Alter sped through the D-II semifinals in an hour with a quick 25-18, 25-18, 25-11 win over Millersburg West Holmes, the same team the Knights defeated to win both the 2002 and 2003 state championships.
Extras
While most of the Knights are state rookies, it's the veteran coaching staff that has been nervous this week.
"The girls just want to play," Alter coach Tina Jasinowski said. "They are motivated and prepared."
The same is true of the Knights' final opponent, because Walsh Jesuit is back for the championship it lost last year to Roger Bacon.
No one talked about state during the regular season, but every Warrior wanted a return trip to the Nutter Center.
"Going to state has been our goal ever since we were here last year," Walsh coach Missy Christ said. "We just didn't talk about it."
Division III
Anna had visions of the 2005 D-III state semifinals in the first game of an 18-25, 25-14, 25-13, 25-19 win over Albany Alexander on Friday.
Last season, the Rockets just seemed happy to be in the big show, losing to eventual state champion Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 25-16, 25-20, 25-16 in the semifinals.
That same attitude seemed to prevail in the opening game.
"We were certainly more ready to play than they were the opening game," said Alexander coach Brad Jeffers. "But we couldn't keep the momentum going. ... They were able to find our weak spots, and when they did, they were very efficient."
Anna's weak spot was in the first game where several serves and kills produced Alexander points. "Not the way we wanted to start the state," said Anna coach Karen Zumberger.
Division I
As usual, it's all Cincinnati all the time in the big school division. This time it will be two schools from the Girls Greater Cincinnati League Scarlet Division squaring off for the state title, but more important — bragging rights.
Mother of Mercy (24-4) meets Mount Notre Dame (22-5). Mercy finished No. 1 in the final state poll, while Mount Notre Dame was tied for third.
The schools split in the regular season and tied for the GGCL Scarlet championship with 7-3 records.
Today's game will mark the fourth time in six years two Cincinnati teams have met for the state title.
