Addison Kalmbach is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Notre Dame Prep for AZPreps365.com. 

 

The Notre Dame Prep Saints have been rolling over their competition all season and look to keep their undefeated region record as they visit the Barry Goldwater Bulldogs on Tuesday. 

Powerhouse sophomore OH Evan Hendrix looks to continue her strong and impressive play this season as she leads the team in every attacking statistic. In fact, her efforts have been recognized and she was named as the national MaxPreps/AVCA player of the week for Aug. 30-Sept. 5. 

“It’s a really good feeling being nominated as one of the 43 players throughout the country and then winning is really cool and shows that my hard work in the gym has been paying off,” said Hendrix. 

The Saints will look to find Hendrix as she has been the focal point of the offense so far this season. With her attacking skills, she has tallied 321 kills in 19 games with a kill percentage of just under 52% on the season. However, these statistics do not show how energetic she is on the court and how that rubs off on her teammates. Hendrix’s running mate on the outside is senior Sophia Ross, who is second on the team in attacking statistics. 

Notre Dame Prep not only has a strong attacking crew with Hendrix and Ross but has a key leader in the libero position in senior McKenna Douglas. The San Diego State University commit has been everything one would expect from a great libero, leading the team with 173 digs, and she has 25 assists, which is second on the team. Not only does she do all the dirty work, but she is also an excellent talker on the court and is not afraid to go all-out for any balls that come her way. 

“We want to win state and I really want to go undefeated,” said Douglas, “and I want to be a cohesive team that plays well together.”

This trio of Hendrix, Douglas, and Ross is a tough group for anyone to stop and they look to keep this momentum going when they visit Barry Goldwater. 

A younger team filled with 10 underclassmen, the Bulldogs are looking to build their team for the future and get their players constant reps at the varsity level to improve their play. A bright spot for the Bulldogs has been OH Jada LeCato. She currently leads the team in kills with 8 and is the highlight of the offense. 

Senior DS Hope Barron will also be a key factor in the game against the Saints as she leads the team in digs with 31. Barron will play a major factor in how the game will go as she has to be ready at all times for the high-flying Hendrix and Ross on the outside. 

Notre Dame Prep head coach Holly McLean notes that, “right now we are not preparing for any specific opponent. We are really slowing down to let the team rest and right now we are actually focused on playing championship-level volleyball.” 

With such a high expectation, the Saints will not look over this game lightly. Hendrix and Ross will both be looking to stay dominant in all aspects of the game and their competition with their aggressive, score-first mentality. The Bulldogs have to be ready for these two high flyers to be the main point in the attack. 

 The Saints play back-to-back games this week as they host the Mesquite Wildcats on Sept. 29.