DARKE COUNTY – Two athletes who helped guide their teams to the district finals of the Ohio High School Athletic Association tournaments are this week’s Daily Advocate athletes of the week.
This week’s Daily Advocate athletes of the week are Versailles volleyball player Elizabeth Ording and Franklin Monroe boys soccer player Cade McGlinch.
Even though she’s just a sophomore, Ording is tied for Versailles’ team lead with 211 kills this season. She’s also in the top five among all Darke County players in kills.
Throughout this season Ording has developed into one of Versailles’ top go-to players.
“I think that just shows how much we trust her as a hitter and how much our setters rely on her to put the ball away,” Versailles volleyball coach Kenzie Bruggeman said.
As a right-side hitter, Ording’s main role for the Tigers has been to get kills. However, she’s a well-rounded player, Bruggeman said, who also contributes in other phases of the game including when she’s in the back row. So far this season Ording has 42 blocks, 36 digs, 17 aces and nine assists.
“She’s really just stepping up to the plate and owning her position,” Bruggeman said.
Last year Ording showed that she was a good athlete, Bruggeman said, but this season she’s become mentally tougher and more comfortable on the court. Her improvement has helped Versailles win the Midwest Athletic Conference championship and advance to the district finals of the Ohio High School Athletic Association tournament.
“This year if she makes a mistake it’s shook off and she knows what she needs to do to fix it,” Bruggeman said.
McGlinch was a senior captain for the Franklin Monroe boys soccer team as it made the district finals of the OHSAA tournament for a sixth consecutive year.
“He’s been a key component of our team for the last couple years,” FM coach Danny Diceanu said.
McGlinch was one of the Jets’ top defenders. He also was able to move up to the midfield and provide offense for the team.
“Cade’s played real good,” Diceanu said. “He’s been our anchor on defense, and here late in the season we kind of moved him up in the midfield and he’s really elevated.”
Even though he’s not the most vocal player on the team, McGlinch was a captain for Franklin Monroe and one of the team’s key leaders.
“Kids look up to him defensively,” Diceanu said. “He’s more of a quiet leader more than a vocal leader, but he’s a good role model.”
