Michael Walter, Brennan Chivers lead STVM into OHSAA boys volleyball state tournament
The St. Vincent-St. Mary boys volleyball team is peaking at just the right time as it prepares to play in the Division II state tournament.
STVM (14-11) is in a state semifinal for the third year in a row under coach Logan Jennings. The Irish are set to meet Columbus St. Charles at 1 p.m. Saturday at Wittenberg University. Saturday's other semifinal pits Cincinnati Archbishop McNicholas against Independence at 3 p.m.
"The style that my team has figured out how to play at is we have guys that play positions, but what I have really harped on this whole year was to make volleyball players," Jennings said. "I want anybody who is on the court to be able to do all of the skills. We are not as heavy handed as we were last year. We don't have the size, but we have speed and defensive tenacity that I have never had as a program."
STVM won a regional title with three-set wins over Bedford, Carrollton and Archbishop Hoban.
Irish seniors Michael Walter, Aidan Gaffney and Sam Stecz and junior Mason Winters will be playing in their third state tournament.
Senior Brennan Chivers will be competing in his second state tournament with STVM after playing two seasons at Firestone. Seniors Kofi Powers and Matthew McDonnell are first-year players on the team.
STVM finished as Division II state runner-up to Columbus St. Francis DeSales last year after beating McNicolas in a semifinal.
"We are thrilled to have made it back to the state tournament," Chivers said. "When we first started out this season, it was rocky. We had a lot of injuries right off the bat. Over time, players slowly started to come back and eventually we built chemistry. We gathered together and we definitely improved towards the end of the season. We brought it all together in the end for a victory in the regional final."
STVM's regular season included quality wins over Division I teams St. Edward, Firestone and Walsh Jesuit and Division II teams Hoban and Independence. The Irish faced several Division I schools, and lost to quality teams St. Charles, Bishop Fenwick, St. Ignatius, Brecksville and Hudson.
STVM's starters are Chivers at setter, Winters and sophomore Nate Sparhawk as outside hitters, Walter and freshman Jaden Jacobs as middle hitters, freshman Moo Thaw as the libero and Gaffney as the opposite hitter.
The reserves are Stecz, Powers, McDonnell, junior Glory Hser, sophomores Davonte Shelton-El and Seth Wesig and freshmen Elijah Wilkins and Kaw Hei.
"There is experience that we have on this team, but there are also a lot of new people," Walter said. "There are a lot of freshmen and sophomores that are playing, so hopefully with the experience that we have — me, Brennan and Aidan — we can lead our youngins to develop and contribute in the clutch moments of the game so that we can stay together when things get close."
The Irish went 0-17 in the program's first season six years ago, losing all 51 sets.
Michael Walter follows in footsteps of parents, siblings at St. Vincent-St. Mary
Michael Walter is the youngest of Sean and Theresa Walter's five children who have all graduated from STVM. The five children — Patrick, Scott, Cecelia, Jason and Michael — have all competed in a state tournament or meet.
Theresa graduated from STVM in 1988 and was a basketball captain. Sean graduated from STVM in 1989 after helping the Irish win two state championships during his senior year (Division III football and Class AA baseball). He was a wide receiver and defensive back in football, an outfielder in baseball and a guard and captain in basketball.
Theresa and Sean's oldest child, Patrick Walter, is a 2016 STVM graduate. As a senior, he ran on STVM's cross country team in the Division II state meet and anchored the Irish's 3,200-meter relay in track and field that reached the podium in the Division II state meet.
Scott Walter is a 2018 STVM graduate. He played in state championship basketball games as a sophomore, junior and senior guard, helping STVM win Division II state titles in 2017 and 2018. He also contributed as a senior defensive back and wide receiver on the Irish's Division III football state semifinal team and played baseball.
Cecelia Walter is 2019 STVM graduate who competed in the gymnastics state tournament in 2017 and 2018, and in the Division II track and field state meet in 2018 on the Irish's 800 relay.
Jason Walter is a 2023 STVM graduate who played on the first two Irish boys volleyball teams to advance to the state tournament. He helped STVM finish as Division II state runner-up last season.
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: STVM ready to play in third boys volleyball state tournament in a row
