The McDonogh girls volleyball team threatened to get back into its match at Seton Keough last Wednesday. The Eagles took a 18-12 lead in the third game after dropping the first two to the host Gators.
Seton Keough senior hitter Kelsey Lisle wasn?t going to let that happen, though. She played a part in nearly every Gator point the rest of the way, and her team outscored the Eagles, 13-5, en route to a 25-23, 25-8, 25-23 sweep.
Lisle?s performance provided a small glimpse into the contributions she has made in helping turn Seton Keough from an afterthought into a legitimate title contender in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference. Entering this week, the Gators were 8-2 overall and 3-0 in league play. Last year, the Gators were 7-11, 3-7.
Lisle may be the best player not only in the conference, but also in the entire Baltimore area. Through Saturday?s non-conference loss to Covenant Christian School, she was averaging 7.43 kills a game with a .516 hitting percentage, .953 serving percentage, 108 aces and 220 digs.
Against McDonogh, the 5-foot-11 Howard County resident also showed knowledge of the sport that goes far beyond the five years she has played competitively. She placed hits, serves and passes exactly where she wanted them while also doing all she could to make her teammates better. That maturity, along with an unquestioned work ethic, will pay off even more next fall at Bucknell, where Lisle plans on signing a letter of intent to play.
“She runs the floor, and I run the bench,” Seton Keough coach S.J. Greenway said. “She makes my job much easier in my first year.”
Lisle, who also received interest from five other Division I schools, said other area private high schools with traditionally stronger volleyball programs wanted her to transfer earlier in her career. But leaving Seton Keough never crossed her mind.
“Winning a championship here is something I?ve always dreamed of doing,” Lisle said. “There was no use getting frustrated about losing the last three years. But now, everyone on this team is great friends, and we?re all working hard to make something special happen.”
University of Maryland-Baltimore County coach Ian Blanchard believes Lisle will be an impact player at the next level. He coached Lisle on his Time Out Orange Crush club team.
“Kelsey is a very sound volleyball player who understands the technical principles of the sport,” Blanchard said. “She?s also a very confident person with an unbelievable work ethic.”
