Preparing for two 6-foot-1 Division I commits is one task. Facing them is another.
No. 14-ranked Ryle did all they could to prepare for the towering talents on No. 2 Notre Dame, junior Makayla Roose and senior Teagan Kondik, but at the end of the night, the Pandas prevailed 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-22) Thursday night in Union.
The two University of Cincinnati commits combined for 26 of Notre Dame’s 44 kills while adding blocks and an overall massive presence at the net.
Ryle has a pretty good boys volleyball program of its own, having won two straight region titles. So, when it came time to prepare for the Pandas, it was time to bring the boys into practice.
“We knew that going in they had two big hitters, and we’re fortunate that we actually have some of our boys volleyball players that are part of our program, so we had several in practice yesterday,” Ryle head coach Tasha Tanner-Lovins said. “It was, ‘OK, you’re Teagan, you’re Makayla,’ and we tried to replicate that. We prepared as much as we could.”
If the Lady Raiders managed to slow one down, the other was ready to make an impact.
At points throughout the match, the two even went on individual runs, showcasing why they have become such a difficult matchup for teams.
But for Kondik, the difference goes beyond what she and Roose can do individually.
“Team chemistry,” Kondik said. “We’re close friends, and on the block we’re always talking, a lot of communication. And then obviously having high touch, mixing tips around and big swings.”
Ryle still showed that the practice paid off at times.
Notre Dame controlled much of the match, but the Lady Raiders were able to close the gap and even take the lead at various points.
They had their own weapon at the net in sophomore Layna Wilkinson, who accounted for 14 of the team’s 31 kills.
“I think we learned from it because she was scoring on us, and she did a really good job of mixing it up,” Notre Dame co-coach Hannah Colvin said. “Sometimes we struggled with the tip, and she was going to do it until it didn’t work for us, and she was able to make adjustments when we were picking it up.”
Wilkinson had the first point of the game, and after the Pandas briefly trailed 3-2, Notre Dame settled in and pulled away for a 25-17 first-set victory.
The Pandas opened the second set with a 5-1 lead and never gave Ryle much of a chance to close the gap, taking the set 25-14.
But both sides found out why the Ninth Region is as tough as it is in the third set.
The teams traded leads and ties, and neither led by more than three points as the set wore on.
That type of battle has become almost routine in a Ninth Region that features five teams in the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association’s most recent top-25 poll. Notre Dame and Ryle are both ranked in the top 15, joining No. 5 Beechwood, No. 6 St. Henry and No. 24 Holy Cross.
“These are strong teams in the Ninth Region. They’re going to give us their best game, and tonight I think we played confident without getting cocky,” Colvin said. “Tasha and her team are going to make adjustments and never give up. That really showed in the third set.”
Fittingly, the match ended with a kill from Kondik, who finished with 12 kills, while Roose led the Pandas with 14.
“This season, it’s just been point-by-point games,” Kondik said. “Forget about the last one, don’t think about the next one. Don’t get too high, don’t get too down, focus on the point you’re on.”
Notre Dame, now 14-6, has won their sixth straight match and has not dropped a set during the streak. The Pandas are also 5-1 against Ninth Region opponents.
Next, they travel to Marist High School in Chicago on Thursday for a 6 p.m. match.
Ryle, now 10-10, has dropped seven straight and will look to snap the skid Monday at home against Great Crossing at 7 p.m.
MORE PHOTOS: Provided by Charles Bolton
PANDAS 3, LADY RAIDERS 0
NOTRE DAME — 25-25-25 — 3
RYLE — 17-14-22 — 0
Game Stats
Kills: Notre Dame 44, Ryle 31
Aces: Notre Dame 5, Ryle 1
Service Errors: Notre Dame 2 Ryle 4
Records: Notre Dame 14-6, Ryle 10-10
