The conclusion to the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament (LIVT) was as exciting as it gets, with eventual champions Mother McAuley IL fending off Assumption KY in three sets to win the title. The Macs went three in all three gold-bracket outings, including downing Sacred Heart Academy KY in the quarterfinals and Mount Notre Dame OH in the semifinals. Assumption needed three to get past St. Ursula Academy OH in the semifinals as well. St. Ursula and Mount Notre Dame met in the third-place match, with St. Ursula escaping in three in that one. The pair share the Greater Catholic Conference together out of Cincinnati and actually face off again on Thursday.
Needless to say, a tournament of the LIVT’s caliber showcased its share of talented players doing what they do. Below, we highlight the Show Stoppers who caught our eye the most over Friday and Saturday’s action in Louisville.
Ellie White JR OH Mother McAuley – White did so much Assumption coach Ron Kordes said he thought there were three of her on the court. Mother McAuley coach Jen DeJarld said the craziest thing is the Michigan recruit isn’t even likely to hit in college as she committed as a setter. She was the clear tournament MVP with her repeated terminal attacking.
Gigi Navarrete SR L Mother McAuley – Navarrete was solid all tourney but seemed to find another level in the championship match. She’s an energetic libero who has the ability to shrink the court for attackers with her superb defending.
Ellery Rees JR MB Mother McAuley – DeJarld said her team’s middle play was a big impact in winning the title over Assumption. Rees was stellar. She showed she was a smart attacker and a capable blocker in contributing largely on both sides.
Jillian Moonan SR RS Mother McAuley – This was my personal unsung hero for the Macs. Moonan made timely plays, be it with well-placed shots or key blocks. She seemingly always had a positive contribution.
Kristen Simon SO L Assumption – With Simon, I had to keep checking the roster in order to remind myself she’s only a sophomore. She was flat-out awesome, especially in the championship match. She picked off some of White’s attacks with ease, not an easy thing to do.
Charlotte Moriarty JR OH Assumption – Moriarty carries a big offensive load for the Rockets. She has a strong arm and does well staying aggressive. She’s also the team’s best server and provided a few scoring runs from the line.
Gabrielle Gerry SR MB Assumption – Gerry – at 6-5 – is a presence in the middle with her size. The Rockets didn’t really ride their middle attack until the final and it allowed Gerry to get going and show her stuff. With her length and extension, she’s tough to get a hand on.
Bailey Blair SO MB Assumption – Blair’s future is bright. She’s a strong blocker with great timing and reading. She can also score, making her a valuable piece.
Whitney Woodrow SR S Assumption – With consistent location, Woodrow gives her hitters good looks on the regular. She was at her best in the final, really moving the ball around and connecting well with her middles.
Addy Brus JR OH St. Ursula – Brus hit as hard as anyone in the gym. She was almost a single-handed wrecking ball to Assumption in the semifinals. The Rockets could not slow her down as she unleashed monster rip after monster rip.
Ivey Stocks SR MB St. Ursula – Stocks has a strong arm and if the block is late, the defense is going to pay for it. She’s a great option in the middle as she’s a reliable scorer who will keep opponents honest.
Ava Siefke SR OH St. Ursula – Siefke is another key offensive component with her scoring prowess. She has a good arm too and can pound it at times.
Sydney Majick SR L St. Ursula – Majick is an underrated defender. She’s unassuming and just goes about her business routinely. She picked off plenty of balls her way and was sound out of serve receive.
Luca Fickell SR S St. Ursula – Fickell was phenomenal and is a crucial part to the Bulldogs’ success. As one of the assistant coaches on Assumption noted, Fickell keeps her team in system even if the passing is off because of her ability to still come up with great sets.
Kenzie Cogan JR L Mount Notre Dame – There was so much defense being played on Day 2 and you can most definitely count Cogan in on it. She was great in both her passing and defending and really took ownership of the back row.
Katie Wilking SR MB Mount Notre Dame – We wrote about Wilking in our Day 1 write up for our under the radar players. She was a great again Saturday with her scoring and abililty to run the slide. Defenses have to account for her.
Shaye Wolf SR OH Mount Notre Dame – Wolf is the do-it-all six-rotation outside for the Cougars. She was a consistent scorer who every once in a while can just drill a ball.
Nya Bunton SR OH duPont Manual – Many already know about Bunton, a stud middle since at least the 14s and is heading to Texas. She plays outside in high school but high doesn’t begin to describe the way she elevates. She gets up! And she crushes. She’s a reason why her school scored two huge victories over private schools in Mercy and Sacred Heart.
Annabelle Groomes SO S/RS St. Joseph OH – During the club season Groomes was a setter and we didn’t get to see her hit very much, if at all. She’s obviously still a really good setter in high school but she swings across the front row and provides valuable and much-needed offense.
Olivia Castelluccio JR S St. Joseph OH – The other back row setter, Castelluccio is a big undersized but smooth. She sets a clean ball and is accurate with her location.
Anna Powell SO OH Sacred Heart Academy – We wrote about Powell after Day 1. She’s an up-and-comer. She has a really good arm and is going to be hard to contain as she grows and adds more strength and power.
Bridget Egan SO OH Sacred Heart Academy – Egan was just coming back from injury and added pop to the SHA offense. She has a lively arm and gets after it with her aggressive attacking.
Elise Hart SO MB Sacred Heart Academy – We noted Hart in our Day 1 under the radar players section. We really like her energy. She’s also a smart attacker who stays within herself.
Kamden Schrand SR L Notre Dame KY – Like we said, there was plenty of defense on display Saturday at KiVA. Schrand was part of that. She’s a strong, scrappy defender.
Sydney Nolan SR OH Notre Dame KY – Nolan, with her height and length, is a tough cover for anyone on the high school level. She can simply go over blockers and find the open space in the defense.
Zoe Baliva SO OH St. Joseph MO – Baliva is a key cog in the attack. She’s an underclassman with a lively arm who is only going to grow and improve with more experience.
Claire Morrissey St. Joseph MO – Morrissey is the big arm in the St. Joe attack. We know her well from the club season playing for Rockwood Thunder. She can bring the hammer down on defenses when the set is lined up.
Kiana Dinn JR S/OH Ryle – Dinn was one of our favorite players in the gym Saturday. She’s a tiny bit undersized at 5-10 but watch out. She has a very lively arm and springy bounce which makes her very fun to watch.
Elizabeth Tabeling JR L St. Henry – Strong out of serve receive, teams don’t target Tabeling very often or more like by mistake. She’s also a capable defender hustling around to keep rallies alive.
Alivia Skidmore JR OH St. Henry – The biggest offensive threat, Skidmore is a bit of a hybrid attacker. She lines up on the left and hits from the outside, as well as stacking up in the middle and providing offense from there too.
Taylor Bedinghaus JR OH Clearwater Central – Bedinghaus is a big concern for opponents with her scoring prowess. She delivers a good amount of offensive for the team and hits with lots of pace.
Josephine Hensley SO S Clearwater Central – A 5-1 setter, Hensley is steady and consistent with her placement.
Amanda Mack JR OH Maryville – Mack is the go-to for Maryville. She’s a handful for defenses and she can unload on the ball well.
Genevieve Harris FR S Cardinal Gibbons – We caught Harris at Junior Nationals playing for NC Academy and noted her back then. She’s going to be one to watch and she has tremendous touch and hands and is just smooth.
Jessica Neiman JR RS Padua Franciscan OH – The lefty right side is the team’s kill leader and thus a vital part of the attack. She’s aggressive and doesn’t back down as she keeps coming at the defense.
