Lake volleyball program looks to build on momentum

Lake volleyball set their goals high this year but fell short on one mark. The Flyers were hoping to become the first team in program history to reach the regional tournament.

In a Division III district final at Defiance High School, the Flyers had disappointing first and fifth sets and fell short to Tinora, 25-12, 26-24, 20-25, 22-25, 15-12.

“We should have had it,” Lake coach Amy Vorst said.

Eastwood coach Jeff Beck is impressed with how far the Lake program has come. 

“For the last three or four years they have been just so up and coming,” Beck said. “They are just a stellar program right now. 

“When I had (now Bowling Green State University standout) Katelyn Meyer and Abby (Schroeder) and Hannah (Hodulik) and we were like 52-2 over two years, very dominating — I feel like that is the team that is starting to develop at Lake. They have real young players who are real great volleyball players. They are a real strong program.”

Lake 6-foot senior middle blocker Cassidey Willey finished with 19 kills, 5-11 sophomore outside hitter Taryn DeWese had 16 and 6-2 junior middle blocker Ella Vorst had 12, but it was not enough. Sophomore Vayda Delventhal led the Flyers with 20 digs and 26 assists.

The Flyers finished 23-2 overall and 14-0 in the Northern Buckeye Conference, winning their second straight league title. This year’s title was won outright, last year they shared with Eastwood.

“I think that this honestly is one of the first teams I have had that they would play for each other. I don’t think my girls were selfish, they weren’t worried about themselves, they were more interested in being successful as a team and that is huge,” Vorst said. 

“I’ve been preaching since day one that is does not matter how good you are, if you don’t have team chemistry it is going to fail. I really think that the biggest difference between this year compared to past years is chemistry.”

Team MVP?

Because of Lake’s depth, coach Vorst says it was hard to select a team MVP. 

“Picking an MVP for the team is almost an impossible thing to do because I think we were very well rounded,” Vorst said. “We obviously played eight or nine kids every match, but the other kids who didn’t get in, they still improved us every single day in practice. All 15 of the girls gave effort every single day so to pick MVP is very hard for us.”

DeWese shares Alan Miller Jewelers All-Press Player of the Year honors with Eastwood senior setter Anna Ramlow and Vorst shares All-Press Coach of the Year honors with Northwood’s Josh Jordan.

DeWese, a six-rotation player who almost never comes off the floor,  does everything. She was tied for the team lead in kills with Willey (257) but was also one of the top setters and defensive players. She was second on the team in assists (291) and digs (201).

DeWese, Vorst, Willey and sophomore libero Sydney Stanley are first team All-NBC selections and first team All-Press.

“Of the eight first team choices (NBC), four of them were from Lake, which I was happy about,” coach Vorst said. Most All-Press choices are based on league voting, but adjusted after district voting.

Coach Vorst says the three top hitters, DeWese, Willey and Ella Vorst, “ran our offense well.” Ella Vorst finished third on the team in kills with 245 and Delvanthal led in assists (464).

“That is running a 6-2, so that is pretty impressive. Both (Delventhal and DeWese) did amazing, defensively, and Vayda had 269 digs and she was only in the back row for like three rotations. That blows my mind. 

“We couldn’t have been any better defensively without Sydney Stanley — she ended up with 317 digs and she was above a 2.0 serve-receive passer on the season, which is phenomenal. 

“Phoebe Scott and Lani Robinson came in and did their jobs, whether it was offense or defense. (Oak Harbor transfer) Zoe Ager, a 6-footer — she really is an awesome kid and worked her tail off every day. She played a big role for us even though she could only play half the season.”

In addition, players missed out on breaking school records because of the team’s depth.

“We didn’t have any school records this year, which is unbelievable, but I think that is because we are so well-rounded,” coach Vorst said. “I think maybe by the end of her four years, Vayda could get the assist record and maybe Syd Stanley by the end of her four, because they are only sophomores. Maybe Syd Stanley or Vayda could break the dig record. It’s a good problem to have.”

Next for the Flyers is keeping the momentum goinog into next year. 

“Losing Cass Willey in the middle, that will leave a big hole, but we had Zoe Ager dress with us, she is a six-footer, and she is playing club at a pretty high level, so hopefully that will help get her prepared. If not, we are going to shift one of the other kids to the middle and maybe put Taryn on the right,” Vorst said. 

“We have a very talented, very high IQ freshman class, so I think our defense should improve. We just need to get another couple hitters. We have the summer and hopefully the club season to help get those girls ready.

Vorst, who played for Eastwood’s 1993 D-III state championship team, says confidence is building within the Lake program.

“Obviously, Eastwood is always a big competitor in the league. I think getting them both times we played them this year will help with their confidence because it used to be such a mental block. We would go to their place, or they would come to us,” Vorst said.

“I tell the girls, ‘If you put them in another jersey,’ they are the same people, it is OK. Just because they are Eastwood does not mean we need to freak out.’ So, I think their confidence has improved a lot, especially with back-to-back championships.”