No matter what division it is, the Lake Catholic volleyball team intends to collect all the trophies.

The Cougars defeated Elyria Catholic, 25-12, 25-15, 25-11, to win the Berkshire Division V regional title on Nov. 2.

The win puts Lake Catholic (22-4) in next week’s state tournament, where the Cougars hope to win a Division V trophy to go along with the two Division III trophies they won in each of the last two seasons. , along with the Division II trophy. they won in 2021.

The rare four-peat.

“We are very excited,” said senior Natalya Bergant. “I think we’re ready for it.”

When Bergant scored an ace for the deciding match, Lake Catholic’s bench emptied the court to celebrate its regional championship and another state berth, one that some felt was unattainable with the graduation of six decorated seniors and a new head coach.

“A lot of people said we couldn’t do it,” coach Tess Connelly said. “We proved them all wrong. I’m proud of the girls and how hard they worked over the past few months.

“No matter what division we’re in, we’re going to work hard and try to be successful.”

After losing to Lake Catholic twice during the regular season, Elyria Catholic (20-7) was trying to turn things around in the third round. But it didn’t happen. Bergant scored seven kills and blocks in the first set, and EC struggled to find momentum for the rest of the day.

“We knew not to underestimate them,” senior Julia Oster said. “We had to come out with a lot of energy.”

The Panthers came out in the second set with a vengeance and took an early lead thanks to a kill by Clara Kilgore. But Oster scored a pair of points, including an ace, to give Lake a lead it never relinquished.

EC was within two points at 11-9 in the second set before Lake went on a 12-2 run. Ahnna Bergant had a kill and a block, followed by a star serve from her sister Natalya.

EC coach Laurie Cogan lamented not being able to keep the momentum going, but credited Lake Catholic for that deficit.

“My kids made some good shots and when we did, they got blocked,” he said. “(Lake Catholic) threw the ball all over the court. They are very difficult to defend. “They do everything very, very well.”

Again, EC came out strong in the third set and held a 6-5 lead with the help of a trio of service errors by Lake Catholic. But once again, once Lake Catholic settled in, the Panthers could do little to stop it.

PHOTOS: Lake Catholic vs. Elyria Catholic Volleyball, November 2, 2024

Avery Budrys-Rini recorded a kill, her sister served an ace and Lake Catholic never trailed again. Natalya Bergant scored the final three points, with two shots by Ava Budrys-Rini and one by Ahnna Bergant setting up the final kick.

Connelly credited Elyria Catholic’s talent, coaching and determination, calling the Panthers “an incredible team.” But his pre-match message resonated.

“The big message for the girls was to start strong,” he said. “Show them what we are. Show them what we can do.”

EC found out the hard way.

“They are ranked number one in the state and absolutely deserve that ranking,” Cogan said. “They’re good. They’re REALLY good. If we played them 10 times, we could get a win. I’m proud of our kids, but we got beat by a better team today.”