Leopold breezes past Meadow Heights in final

The most serious issue facing the Leopold volleyball team on Tuesday night was how well the Wildcats would adjust to the loss of Jenny Vandeven.

The 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter injured her ankle during practice on Monday, when the top-seeded Wildcats had a bye in the six-team Class 1 District 3 tournament at Saxony Lutheran High School in Jackson.

The Wildcats had no problems, beating Meadow Heights 25-13, 25-13 in the championship after disposing of Saxony Lutheran 25-7, 25-8.

"The girls that we put in that spot tonight did a wonderful job," Leopold assistant Sandy Davis said. "We worked some new people in and they did well."

The Wildcats (26-3) didn't misfire often during Tuesday's title match. They built early leads in each set. Once the Wildcats reached double figures they never let Meadow Heights, which lost to Leopold for the fourth time this year, get closer than four points.

"They're an all-around good club," Panthers coach Kami Green said. "Everyone on their team is an all-around good player. They're not only solid on defense, they have an outstanding offense, too."

Casey Bucher, a 5-8 sophomore, led Leopold's balanced attack with seven kills. She also had four digs. Erin Woodfin, a 5-10 senior, and Cassie Jansen, a 5-11 junior, each had six kills while 5-6 senior Janice Jansen added five kills.

Junior setter Cassie Seiler had 17 assists.

Janice Jansen, Woodfin, Bucher and Seiler were joined on the all-district tournament first team by Maddy Hutchings, a 5-11 junior middle hitter who had two big kills to set up match point in the first set.

Leopold's Desiree Arnzen made the second team.

Also on the first team was Oak Ridge setter Cynthia Volz.

But the second-seeded Bluejays were knocked off in Tuesday's other semifinal by No. 3 Meadow Heights in a 25-22, 25-12 decision.

"This is probably the best we've played in a while," Green said, "especially in the last couple of weeks."

Brandy Mayberry was the lone Panthers player named to the all-district second team. She was joined by Zalma's Chelsea Snider and Chelsea Pickett and Saxony Lutheran's Nicole Petzoldt and Kara Versemann.

Jenna Hahs, Meadow Heights' tallest player at 5-10, also was effective at times against Leopold. She teamed with Mayberry on a double-block, than had a kill as the Panthers closed to 8-4 in the first game. But Leopold later turned a 13-8 edge into an 18-9 advantage with two kills by Bucher, two kills by Cassie Jansen and two hitting errors by Meadow Heights.

The Wildcats had a similar spree in the middle of the second set, turning an 11-6 contest into a 16-7 advantage.

Leopold may have Vandeven back for Saturday's Class 1 sectional at Bell City. "It's wait and see," Davis said.