By Sydney Nolan ’23
and Caroline Scheper ’23
The Notre Dame Academy volleyball team begins its quest for a second state championship in three seasons tonight. The Pandas open at Paintsville, champion of the 15th Region, at 6:30 p.m. tonight.
Here are nine things to know about the Ninth Region champion Pandas:
- This is NDA’s 36th time winning the regional championship.
- The Pandas are going for their ninth state championship. They will need to win four games between tonight and Friday night to do it.
- This is the first year as head coach for NDA math teacher Leslie Litmer, an alumna who played college volleyball at Morehead State. Jenna Leistner is associate coach and Madison Salkowski is assistant coach.
- Mrs. Litmer and her husband are expecting their first child, a daughter, in November.
- Mrs. Litmer said she uses lots of breathing exercises on the sidelines and surrounds herself with a good support system to balance the pressure of being one of the head coaches, a teacher, and the impending birth of her daughter. She said she is thankful for her family, team, fellow coaches, and other teachers for helping her balance everything.
- She said she was thrilled to get back to state, “especially for this team. They have worked so hard since the beginning of this season. They really deserve it.
- Getting back wasn’t easy. The regional semifinal against St. Henry included a 36-34 game, the longest Mrs. Litmer had even been a part of.
- Mrs. Litmer believes that the 2023 volleyball seniors have not just impacted the team, but the entire volleyball program with their selfless behavior. She is thankful for the family environment they have created and is so proud that the younger players have such great examples of what success as a unit looks like.
- When Mrs. Litmer was asked what she thought that everyone should know about her volleyball team, she said, “More than anything, they are great people and I think they have created a really good reputation for themselves not just within the Notre Dame community but beyond that.”