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Lakota sports fans have the unique opportunity tonight to watch both the Lakota East and Lakota West varsity volleyball programs play in back-to-back regional semifinal games at Lebanon High School. If both Lakota schools win then they will face off in the regional final.

Senior Ashley Evans, who is committed to Purdue, is one of the leaders at Lakota East who has helped the team advance to regional semifinal. If the Thunderhawks win on Thursday, it will be the first time in school history that it will play in the regional final. Photo taken earlier this postseason by Amanda Davidson.

Lakota East (22-2) will have the tough task of trying to defeat unbeaten Mount Notre Dame (25-0) in its regional semifinal match at 6:30 p.m.

Currently, the Cougars are ranked No. 6 nationally by MaxPreps and haven’t lost since Oct. 13, 2011. Ironically, that loss came against Lakota East.

“We know that our game on Thursday against Mount Notre Dame is going to be a battle,” Lakota East head coach Casie Garland said. “They are the strongest team in the state thus far at 25-0 and defending state champions, so it’s definitely not going to be easy.

“However, I do feel our team is fully capable of battling with the best of them.”

Both teams feature a future Big Ten volleyball player. East is led by Purdue commit Ashley Evans, who had 23 kills and 23 digs in the 30-28, 18-25, 25-22, 25-18 win against McAuley in the district final last Saturday. On the other side of the net, MND is led by senior Michelle Strizak, who is committed to Illinois. Strizak led the Girls Greater Cincinnati League with 381 kills.

In the late game Thursday, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Lakota West (20-5) will take on Ursuline (19-6). It will be the third meeting this fall between the two teams – with the Lions winning the first two: 25-20, 25-17, 25-27, 25-18 and 25-23, 25-21, 25-23.

“Ursuline is a great team,” Lakota West head coach Tracey Kornau said. “They are very well coached, always solid fundamentally and always play great defense.

“It will be a great game.”

Like in the earlier matchup, each team is led by one of the region’s best players. Junior Sam Fry, who had 362 kills this season and has already verbally committed to Notre Dame, leads Ursuline. While, Furman commit Annie Bierman, who led the Greater Miami Conference in kills this fall with 297, leads Lakota West.

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Tags: Tags: Annie Bierman, Annie Bierman Furman, Annie Bierman Lakota West, Ashley Evans, Ashley Evans Lakota East, Ashley Evans Purdue volleyball, Casie Garland, Casie Garland Lakota East, Casie Garland volleyball coach, Lakota East, Lakota East High School, Lakota East Sports, Lakota East volleyball, Lakota West, Lakota West High School, Lakota West sports, Lakota West volleyball, Tracey Kornau, Tracey Kornau Lakota West

Lakota West volleyball preview

Throughout its 15-year history, the Lakota West volleyball program has many accomplishments including four seasons of winning 20 or more matches, five district championships and five Greater Miami Conference regular season titles.

Lakota West senior Annie Bierman will lead a group of six seniors and returners this fall when the Firebirds open their volleyball season at home Tuesday, Aug. 28, against McAuley at 7 p.m.

However, this fall, the program will be able to do something that it has never done before – play six seniors.

“We haven’t had that (depth) before. It definitely serves you well come tournament time,” said Tracey Kornau, who has been Lakota West’s only head volleyball coach in its history.

“I think it is one of those things that separates a good team from a great team.”

Leading the large group of seniors is outside hitter and Furman commit Annie Bierman, who finished second in the GMC in kills last season and was named to the all-GMC first team.

“They understand that they will all provide senior leadership, but one of them has to be the spokesperson on the court and Annie Bierman has assumed that role,” Kornau said. “She can flat out play. It is very easy to follow her example because she plays so well, but is also a good vocal leader.

“She is one of the best players in the city if not in the state.”

Bierman will be replacing last season’s senior leaders in libero Mel Stewart (NKU) and middle hitter Corri Muha (Georgetown College).

“This year, I am definitely going to have to step up and be one of the main leaders on the court because we lost Mel and Corri and they were such strong leaders for everybody,” Bierman said. “It is going to be big shoes to fill, but I think I can do it.”

Stewart and Muha, who Kornau believes will both be impact players in college, left a lasting mark on the Lakota West program – training their teammates last fall so that they would be ready to start in 2012.

According to Kornau, it wasn’t uncommon for Stewart to pull Delany Wilder aside or for Muha to coach up teammates Rachel Cogan (Sr.), Gabby Blados (Jr.) and Lexi Duello (Soph.) on how to play the middle and rightside hitter positions.

Wilder, now a senior, is competing with fellow classmate Sara Rudokas for the libero and defensive specialist positions. Returning players, Cogan, Blados and Duello are competing to play the middle and rightside hitter positions.

Lakota West’s Gabby Blados strikes the ball during a match in the 2011. The junior-to-be is starting to receive offers from Division I volleyball programs. Photo taken by Mark Ferland of ferlandfotos.smugmug.com.

Blados, who is the 6-foot-3 daughter of former Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Brian Blados, had a productive club season and already has offers from Buffalo, High Point and Clemson.

Meanwhile, senior outside hitter Mandy Stanislovaitis and junior setter Allie Muha return as starters. Stanislovaitis will team up with Bierman to form a nice 1-2 punch on the outside.

“They are one of the most powerful duos, as far as outside hitters go, in the area,” Kornau said. “We won’t lose anything when one rotates out and the other rotates in.”

Also returning, senior Donna Street is extremely versatile and can sub in at middle and rightside hitter, as well as at setter. Kornau says of her senior backup, “on other teams she would be starter and a superstar.”

Last season, Lakota West won its second consecutive district title and finished 18-8 overall and 8-1 within the GMC. The Firebirds will begin its season at home Tuesday, Aug. 28, against McAuley at 7 p.m.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Allie Muha, Annie Bierman, Annie Bierman Furman, Annie Bierman Lakota West, Delany Wilder, Donna Street, Gabby Blados, Gabby Blados Lakota West, Gabby Blados volleyball, Gabby Blados volleyball recruiting, Lakota West, Lakota West High School, Lakota West sports, Lakota West volleyball, Lexi Duello, Mandy Stanislovaitis, Rachel Cogan

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

Menchie’s West Chester location. Photo provided.

Menchie’s to open West Chester location Aug. 17- West Chester will have Greater Cincinnati’s second Menchie’s frozen yogurt location when it opens at 8177 Princeton-Glendale Road next Friday, Aug. 17. Owner and operator Jim Hach announced the grand opening date last Wednesday night.

Local siblings share unique bond – John Johnston of The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote a story last week about a West Chester family with two siblings, who have both recently received heart transplants.

Ohio swine flu cases grow again – Sheila McLaughlin of The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote last Thursday that the Ohio Department of Health reported the number of confirmed H3N2v swine flu cases from the Butler County Fair has risen to 16.

Eric Bauman. Photo provided.

Eric Bauman named principal at Lakota’s Liberty Junior- The Lakota Board of Education approved the appointment of Eric Bauman to principal of Liberty Junior School during a recent school board meeting. Bauman had previously served as an assistant principal at Lakota Plains Junior School and at Lakota East High School.

Liberty Township seeing a rash of vandalism – Sue Kiesewetter reported last week for The Cincinnati Enquirer that a rash of vandalism in parts of Liberty Township has officials working to increase Butler County sheriff’s patrols in targeted areas.

Lakota West senior Annie Bierman verbals to Furman – Lakota West senior Annie Bierman once thought of herself as a soccer player until her father forced her to play volleyball. After eight years of playing soccer, Bierman eventually quit and is now planning to continue her volleyball career in college.

Street name changes near West Chester Hospital – If you are having trouble finding directions to your local doctor’s office, it is likely the office hasn’t moved. But, it could mean, the name of the street of where it is located may have changed. University Court, which surrounds West Chester Hospital, now has two different names.

Lakota West grads play in Bengals preseason game – A pair of Lakota West graduates played in Friday night’s preseason game between the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Fullback John Conner started for the Jets, while linebacker Grant Hunter made a tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals in his first NFL game.

Former Lakota East wrestler to compete at Olympics Aug. 12 – Former Lakota East and Princeton wrestler Khetag Pliev wrestled for Team Canada this past Sunday, which was the last day of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Pliev had a unique journey to the Games, where he won his first match before losing to eventual gold-medal winner Jacob Stephen Varner of the United States and then to bronze-medal winner Kurban Kurbanov of Azerbaijan.

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Tags: Tags: Annie Bierman, Annie Bierman Furman, Annie Bierman Lakota West, Butler County Fair, Butler County Fair 2012, Butler County Fair flu, Butler County Fair swine flu, Furman volleyball, Grant Hunter Bengals, John Conner Jets, Khetag Pliev, Khetag Pliev Olympics, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Lakota West volleyball, Liberty Junior, Liberty Junior Eric Bauman, Liberty Junior principal Eric Bauman, Liberty Junior School, Menchie's, Menchie's Cincinnati, Menchie's West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, Zhania Coleman, Zion Coleman

Lakota West senior Annie Bierman once thought of herself as a soccer player until her father forced her to play volleyball. After eight years of playing soccer, Bierman eventually quit and is now planning to continue her volleyball career in college.

Earlier this summer, the outside hitter decided to make a verbal commitment to attend Furman University in Greenville, S.C.

“When I went down to Furman, it just clicked,” Bierman said. “I really liked the coaches and the area. I just knew that is where I wanted to go.”

Bierman was also considering Northern Kentucky, Ohio, Ohio Dominican and Wright State universities.

As a junior last season, Bierman was second in the Greater Miami Conference in kills and was named first team all-GMC. She also had 12 kills and 3 blocks in the 25-23, 25-23, 26-24 upset win against Lakota East in the district championship.

Hoping to build upon her success last fall, Bierman will take on a new role this season as she tries to help fill the void of losing two leaders to graduation in libero Mel Stewart (NKU) and middle hitter Corri Muha (Georgetown College).

“This year, I am definitely going to have to step up and be one of the main leaders on the court because we lost Mel and Corri and they were such strong leaders for everybody,” Bierman said. “It is going to be big shoes to fill, but I think I can do it.”

In 2011, Lakota West finished second in the GMC with an 18-8 overall record and an 8-1 mark within the GMC. The Firebirds only loss in conference play during the regular season was to school district rival Lakota East.

Lakota West, however, revenged that loss by defeating the Thunderhawks in the postseason. The Firebirds did lose their next postseason match in the regional semifinal to Mt. Notre Dame, who went on to win the Division I state championship.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Annie Bierman, Annie Bierman Furman, Annie Bierman Lakota West, Furman volleyball, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Lakota West volleyball