Lutheran West can't clamp down on Clapper, fall short of title
More than 500 make trip to Dayton to cheer on their super seniors
By Zachary Dzurick
Sports
Published Nov. 17, 2004

Lutheran West seniors Stephanie Herhuth and Helen Stewart attempt to block a Newark Catholic spike during the Div. III state championship game on Saturday in Dayton.

Many believed it could not be done.

There have been 105 volleyball state champions in the history of the OHSAA tournament's 30 years. Only three times has a team from Greater Cleveland won, and never in Div. III since the move to four divisions 15 years ago. No team from Cuyahoga County has even made the Div. III final game since Fairview in 1994.

Add to the fact that Lutheran West only had seven varsity players. While junior Laura Maurath played a huge role in practice and at key moments during the regular season, the playoff run has seen the same six seniors - Karla Everhart, Nicole Feher, Stephanie Herhuth, Bethany Kastner, Jessica Moses and Helen Stewart - on the court together for every moment of the regional and state tournaments.

After trailing for most of the first game, the Lady Longhorns rallied behind Helen Stewart's serving to take the last eight points of the game and win, 25-21.

For a moment, Lutheran West seemed destined to win the first team state championship in school history. However, it was not to be as Newark Catholic added to its rich history and won its state-record eighth state championship by winning the next three games, 25-21, 25-19, 25-16.

All season, the Lady Longhorns had answered every challenge as they steamrolled to a 28-0 record. Before the state finals, West had an amazing 78-5 edge in games.

Lutheran West coach Stephanie Flaherty was understandably emotional when she spoke about her seniors. She struggled to contain her emotions when she spoke of what her team has meant to her.

"They are a real special group of kids," Flaherty said. "Jess and Karla have played for me for four years. Helen for three. They are very special. They are dynamic kids. They are very Christian. They are very hard-working. I love them. This was a special experience because those six played all season long, and we are where we are right now because of their phenomenal playing ability. It has a been great year."

In Game 1, Newark Catholic junior Sarah Clapper had five errors and just three kills. In the last three games, however, the Green Wave was able to run their offense through Clapper, and she responded with a game-high 25 kills. She added a team-high eight blocks. The Lady Longhorns were just not able to slow Clapper down.

"They are definitely going to feed her every ball," Flaherty said. "If you shut her down, you will shut them down, and we didn't do that."

After playing their best match of the season the previous night against Orrville, the No. 1-ranked team in the state, Lutheran West may have tried too hard on the state's biggest stage.

"We didn't play our game tonight," Flaherty said. "One thing we needed to do was pass well, and we didn't do that. I think we really pressed. I think I had a lot of girls try to step up tonight and press way too hard. I don't think we played Lutheran West volleyball like we ave all season, and we still hung with that team and that says a lot for them.

"They wanted it too much. I saw some frustration in them tonight that I have not seen all year. They were looking for perfection and I think if they had let up a little and not gone for the perfect pass or perfect dig, they would have been all right. But they pressed for perfection."

Flaherty gave credit to Newark Catholic.

"They did have their A-game tonight," Flaherty said. "They brought it and we just weren't quite where we needed to be."

The turning point of the match was the second game. Lutheran West had rallied from an early deficit to take its first lead at 11-9. Clap er appeared to enter the net but no call was made and the Green Wave regained control of the game. The Lady Longhorns kept battling and after a Feher ace closed to 22-21.

However, on the next play, Stewart was called for a controversial lift.

Instead of being tied and having the serve, Norwalk Catholic was ahead, 23- and served out to win. It was that close to being a 2-0 lead for the Lady Longhorns. However, the Green Wave grabbed the momentum and rode it the rest of the way as they controlled Games 3 and 4.

"A champion needs to blow off bad calls," Flaherty said. "We let it bother us. I don't blame them for feeling that. way, but all season we have done a good job shrugging that off."