VERSAILLES – Elizabeth Ording had an outstanding senior volleyball season in 2018.
Ording totaled 375 kills this season, as well as a hitting percentage of 34.7 percent, 74 blocks, 71 digs and 34 aces among other statistics, but statistics aside, Ording more importantly led her team through a difficult, adversity-filled season that saw the defending Division III state champions close the regular season with a record of 12-10.
However, the difficulty of the Lady Tigers schedule proved worthy as they romped through the postseason with eight consecutive wins over Meadowdale (3-0), Northridge (3-0) and Springfield Northeastern (3-0) to win a sectional title, then beat Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (3-1) for the district championship, then Miami East (3-0) and Marion Pleasant (3-1) for another regional title, then Zoarville Tuscurawas Valley (3-0) in the state semifinals and finally Independence (3-0) for the state championship.
For those reasons and others, Ording is the 2018 Darke County Volleyball Player of the Year.
“She was amazing this year in so many ways,” said Versailles volleyball coach Kenzie Bruggeman. “She not only led by example, but she became one of the vocal leaders out on the court.”
Ording was clutch in several games during the regular season and tournament run. With her strong, left-handed smashes, she was an opponents’ nightmare at the net, but, according to Bruggeman, Ording also became a force on the serving line.
“Three-quarters of the way through the year Liz also became a serving threat for us and played almost 4 out of the 6 rotations for us,” Bruggeman said. “She earned her 1,000th kill this year which was a huge accomplishment for her. She just grew in so many ways and I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
Ording’s senior year was filled with postseason honors including being named to the Division III All-Ohio second team. She also was named to the All-District 9 first team and the All-Midwest Athletic Conference first team.
Some highlights include winning back-to-back state championship (2017, 2018), back-to-back regional championships (2017, 2018), four straight district championships (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), four straight sectional championships (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), one Midwest Athletic Conference championship (2016) and being selected to the MAC first team three times (2016, 2017, 2018).
Her career statistics include 1,113 kills, a 38.6 hitting percentage, 168 digs, 243 blocks and 55 aces.
Ording isn’t the only All-Darke County volleyball honoree from Versailles. For many of the same reasons Ording is the POY, Versailles volleyball coach Kenzie Bruggeman is the 2018 Darke County Volleyball Coach of the Year.
With two games to go in the regular season and coming off a loss to Jackson Center, Bruggeman and the Lady Tigers reeled off 10 straight wins to repeat as state champions.
“This year was amazing and I couldn’t be more thankful for the girls and the work that they put in starting back to last April,” Bruggeman said. “They remained driven despite tough circumstances and competition and were playing amazing volleyball by the end of the season. I am truly blessed by God to work with the team I did this year and I am so so proud of every single one of them. It was such a fun season.”
As Player of the Year, Ording is automatically on the Darke County list of first team honorees. She is joined on the first team by teammate Lindsey Winner, as well as Arcanum junior Camille Pohl and freshman Taylor Gray, Franklin-Monroe junior Corina Conley, Greenville senior Shelby Hermann, Mississinawa Valley senior Sidnie Hunt and Tri-Village junior Maddie Downing.
Winners accolades include being named to the Division III All-District 9 and Midwest Athletic Conference first teams.
Pohl was selected also an All-District 9 first team selection in Division III and was named the Player of the Year in the Cross County Conference.
Gray, a freshman, was named to the Division III All-District 9 second team and the Cross County Conference first team.
Conley was named to the Division IV All-District 9 first team and to the first team in the Cross County Conference.
Hermann was selected to the Division II All-District 9 second team, as well as the Greater Western Ohio Conference American League first team.
Hunt was named to the Cross County Conference first team.
Downing received honorable mention on the Division IV All-District 9 team and was named to the Cross County Conference first team.
Several more local volleyball players are named to the Darke County honorable mention list as well.
Ansonia – Trinity Henderson
Arcanum – Audrey Heiser, Macey Hartman, Sadie Sink
Bradford – Macie Reck
Franklin-Monroe – Brigette Filbrun, Kennedy Morris, Chloe Peters, Belle Cable
Greenville – Brooke Stachler
Mississinawa Valley – Olivia Murphy, Riley Price
Tri-Village – Edie Morris, Abbi Lipps
Versailles – Kelsey Custenborder, Caitlin McEldowney
