by DAYTON, Ohio—Last year, the St. Joseph Academy volleyball team came excruciatingly close to winning the first state title in program history. The Jaguars lost a tough five-set battle to eventual champion Kings Mills Kings, and it’s haunted them ever since.
Eight seniors are gone from that team, but those who came back were determined to give themselves the opportunity to go after a state crown once again. After Friday’s sweep of Delaware Olentangy Berlin in a Division I semifinal at Clayton Northmont High School, the Jaguars did just that.
With senior Chloe Smith coming off the bench to lead the team with 15 kills, the Jaguars won with relative ease by the scores of 25-23, 25-19, 25-13. They will play the state’s top-ranked team, Cincinnati Seton, in the state final at 3 pm Saturday at Wright State University. Seton swept Pickerington North in the other semifinal, 25-15, 25-13, 25-20.
By the luck (or bad luck) of the draw, last year SJA and Kings faced each other in a semifinal although they clearly were the two best teams in Division I. Kings won a nail-biter by the scores of 25-23, 25-27, 27-29, 27-25, 15-9 before sweeping Lewis Center Olentangy Orange in the final.
Not only did SJA lose eight seniors from that team, but coach Kate Latkovic also moved on, taking over at Baldwin Wallace University. Jordon Kortowich, a graduate of St. Joseph Academy in 2015, was hired to take the reins.
“They were told that match against Kings was the championship match,” Kortowich said. “I think that loss hung very heavy with the girls moving into this season. When I did my interview, they made it very known that they were proud of the fact that they would have another opportunity to come back here and do it again. And I think that fueled them, knowing that they had a whole year to get better and figure out a new team.”
It’s interesting to note that the Jaguars were assigned to play in Division II this year in the revised volleyball setup, but SJA petitioned the OHSAA to remain in Division I. This came after Kortowich was hired, and she made the decision with input from the players.
“We thought, as a whole program, it was better for us to be in DI,” Kortowich said. “We’ve been in DI since I can remember. Clearly, our girls are proving themselves, and that we belong in DI. They’re competing their hearts out in DI. We stand by our decision. We’re absolutely happy with it.”
So are the players, as represented by senior All-Ohioan Belle Groomes, who will be playing at the University of San Diego next year.
“I think it’s something we all wanted,” said Groomes. “So, our coaches were like, ‘All right, we’re going to fight for it.’ I couldn’t be happier in Division I. I think winning a state championship in Division I is an incredible feat, and we’re going for it. I’m excited that we have that opportunity tomorrow.”
The 19-8 Jaguars have that opportunity in no small part because of Groomes. She primarily is the team’s setter, a role she took on because she is the best setter on the roster. But she also is the best hitter and server, and she never leaves the court, which means she also is adept at digging out balls and receiving serves.
“You know, Belle is different,” Kortowich said. “She’s a different kind of player, and I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to coach her and get to know her just on the level of outside of volleyball. She’s a special kid, and everybody looks up to her. She’s one of those kids you’re very proud of. She takes leadership, and she’ll carry the team on her back for as long as she possibly can without any hesitation.”
Although the match ended up as a sweep, the early points mostly went in Berlin’s favor. After SJA jumped out to a 5-1 lead, the Bears ran off seven consecutive points in the middle of a 10-1 run that gave them an 11-6 lead. Kortowich called a timeout, and the Jags soon righted the ship, putting together a 7-1 run and eventually knotting things up at 15. Berlin took a 20-19 lead, but SJA then scored six of the last nine points, with Smith getting five kills.
“I think we started off a little nervous,” Kortowich said. “I think they knew what was on the line for them. And, you know, they knew that this team that we were playing was good. They’re really good, really scrappy. But I think our girls just knew what their goal was, and they have that vision of what the future can hold for them, and they made it possible.”
Smith, who missed some time earlier in the season due to an injury, scored six of her team’s final seven points in the opening set, including the last five. She wasn’t nearly as dominant in the remainder of the match, but she was there when the Jaguars needed her, including on the final point of the match when she swatted a massive kill from her customary left side.
“Chloe suffered a concussion earlier in the season, but she clearly did not let that stop her progress and getting better both mentally and physically,” Kortowich said. “Chloe utilizes her time out there, and today she did a really good job of it.”
The second set was competitive, as neither team held a lead of more than three points until a kill by sophomore Anne Culkar gave the Jaguars an 18-14 lead. The Bears managed to cut the margin to 19-17, but SJA ran out the set on a 6-2 run with five different people recording kills.
The third set was not at all competitive, as the writing appeared to be on the wall for the Bears. St. Joseph Academy jumped out to leads of 7-2, 12-6 and 19-9 before cruising across the finish line.
Smith was backed up by Culkar with nine kills and Groomes with six. Goomes also had three blocks and two aces and assisted on just about every kill the Jaguars scored.
