By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Two former players and assistant coaches on the Notre Dame Academy volleyball team were put in charge of the program Friday when Madison Salkowski and Hannah Colvin were named co-head coaches of the Pandas.
They are replacing the head coaching duo of Leslie Litmer and Jenna Leistner, whose teams compiled a 100-14 record over the last three seasons. The Pandas won the 2022 state tournament, placed second in 2023 and lost a five-set match in the state semifinals last season after achieving a national ranking.
Last season, Salkowsi was Notre Dame’s varsity assistant coach and Colvin was head coach of the junior varsity team that posted a 19-4 record and won a tournament title.
They both returned to their high school team after playing on Division I college teams. Salkowski was a middle blocker for Seton Hall University and Colvin was a libero for Wright State University.
“Notre Dame volleyball holds such a special place in my heart, and I’m beyond excited to make an impact on the program and the incredible young women I will have the privilege to lead as co-head coach alongside Madison,” Colvin said in a press release on the school website. “I look forward to upholding the tradition and legacy of NDA volleyball, driving continued success, and creating a journey as meaningful for future players as it was for us.”
Two of the seven graduating seniors on Notre Dame’s 2024 team — Ava Tilden and Julia Grace — were first-team all-state selections.
Tilden finished with a team-high 477 kills and Grace was named the state’s Defensive Player of the Year with 647 digs.
Returning players the new coaches have to work with include setter Lizzy Larkins, who had 941 assists in 37 matches, and hitters Audrey Dyas, Gracie Portwood and Teagan Kondik, who had a combined total of 645 kills.
Notre Dame has one of the most successful volleyball programs in Kentucky. The Pandas have won 38 region titles, played in 23 state championship matches and won 10 state titles.
There’s little doubt that Notre Dame will once again be ranked among the top teams in the state going into the 2025 season under their new head coaches.
“As alumnae, they bring a personal connection to the program and a strong sense of what it means to be a Panda,” said Notre Dame athletic director Janet Carl. “Their recent experience coaching within the program, combined with their collegiate playing backgrounds, make them the ideal leaders to carry NDA volleyball into its next chapter.”
Ryle boys volleyball team off to 11-0 start
In the first season of boys volleyball as a state sanctioned sport, Ryle is off to an 11-0 start with a 33-2 record in sets won during the first four weeks of matches.
The Raiders are one of five Northern Kentucky teams that have posted match results on the khsaa.org website since the inaugural season opened in March. The other local teams with records posted are Dayton (8-2), Calvary Christian (6-3), Walton-Verona (3-5) and Scott (1-7).
One of Ryle’s statistical leaders is sophomore Ryota Kondo with team-high totals of 139 assists and 59 aces in 33 sets. The other team leaders include freshman Andrew Stropko in kills (61), sophomore Max Kid in blocks (28) and junior Collin Kemper in digs (63).
Kentucky has 72 teams playing boys volleyball this spring, according to the KHSAA website. The teams will compete in eight region tournaments with the winner and runner-up in each one advancing to the state playoffs. The final four teams will compete May 20 to determine a state champion.
All “A” Classic baseball playoffs resume
The semifinals of the 9th Region All “A” Classic baseball tournament are scheduled on Wednesday at Thomas More Stadium in Florence with St. Henry vs. Newport Central Catholic at 6 p.m followed by Beechwood vs. Villa Madonna at 8 p.m.
Beechwood won eight of the last 10 region tournaments, including the last three. This season, the Tigers are off to a 4-4 start. The records for the other semifinal teams are NewCath 6-3, Villa Madonna 5-4 and St. Henry 1-7.
The 10th Region All “A” Classic semifinals are scheduled for Saturday at Bracken County with Calvary Christian vs. Paris at 11 a.m. and Brossart vs. Augusta at 2 p.m. The last local team to win that title was Brossart in 2019.
Walton-Verona won the 8th Region All “A” Classic for the eighth consecutive year and will play the 7th Region champion in a state playoff game. In the region final, Walton-Verona senior Aiden Kerns threw a no-hitter in a 10-0 five-inning win over Eminence.