Champions Challenge Match 2: Bishop Gorman hosts Mater Dei seeking Revenge for last year

Champions Challenge Breakdown Match-up #2 

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#14 (5-0) Harrisburg Tigers (Harrisburg, SD) vs. #3 (16-1) Marymount Sailors (Los Angeles, CA)

The REMATCH that Ayanna Watson wanted. After a couple of close matches last year, the Bishop Gorman Senior begged her coach for another chance at Mater Dei, and they are playing. You have the home school Gorman squad that is definitely led by the two Pitt commits, who have struggled a bit out of the gates with 5 losses already this season. Taking on Mater Dei, who is going to be atop the national rankings every single season and loaded with big-name prospects and a roster of D1 commits. This year is no different as they come in #4 and are led by All-Americans in multiple classes and a rotation that might make Coach DBK blush at Nebraska. Who knows who is playing on a given night; three-setters, multiple middles and outsides, it’s a scorekeeper's nightmare, but an embarrassment of riches for Mater Dei.

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It’s a quality match-up of the overall talent and depth of Mater Dei, with so many stars 

Westley Matavao, UCLA commit OH

Addison Coady USC commit MH

Sam Capinpinis is taking the main reins this year at Setter as a Senior, but also sharing with Soraya Dennis and Kalea Lee

And then Emma Kingston and Jael Smith are helping out in the middle while 

Layli Ostovar helps out on the OH with Matavao

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Then, for Gorman, it truly is the Ayanna Watson show this season as she is leading the way.

Trinity Thompson, her Pitt commit teammate, is doing it all at setter, defender, and adding some kills as well for Gorman.

After that, you are getting 2.4 kills/set from Aliana Breitling, who is heading to the Ivy League, and the Jr. Libero Choloe Lopez is leading with 4.2 digs/set, but lack of depth has hurt Gorman early on, and they haven’t found secondary options to go with their primary options.

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Match Keys:

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These teams know each other well, having played each other multiple times in club ball last season. There shouldn't be any surprises. It simply comes down to can Gorman find anyone else to help out Watson? Because Ostovar and Matavao will be able to counter her kills, and the triple-headed monster at Setter for Mater Dei will cancel out the do-everything Thompson, as good as she is. This really comes down to whether Gorman can find enough other places to match up with all of the depth that Mater Dei has everywhere else.

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Offensively: It’s going to be fun watching Matavao and Watson go swing for swing all night, but in the end, it’s about TEAM, and Mater Dei just has way more weapons around Westley than Bishop Gorman has around Ayanna. I’d love to see Thompson find ways to get aggressive, but even then, what does Gorman have as another option at Setter?

Advantage Mater Dei

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Defensively, now here is an area where I like Gorman hanging with Mater Dei. Thompson is very underrated as a defender, and Watson is excellent as well. At the net, it’s going to Coady and her squad. In the end, once again, Mater Dei as a whole is a better spot if they play to their ability.

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Star Power: Boy, top end? It’s hard for me to ever not give top star to West, but when you watch our Top 150 in America coming out next week, you are going to see a few names from this match. Watson has earned Top Star Praise in this match and nearly every match she plays in for now. Thompson is an underrated star and has been for two years. I like Coady’s star and it’s burning brighter than a year ago. It is so hard on these prep teams when you are trying to play 10 or more athletes in a match, but we will see how the rotations go tomorrow.

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Prediction: I know that Watson wants her revenge, and I don’t doubt how hard she is going to battle. I also think Gorman comes out very hard and battles early, taking Set 1, but Mater Dei eventually settles in, and their depth and overall weapons and front row power are just too much in the end.

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I’m taking Mater Dei 3-1 over Bishop Gorman in the nightcap of the Champions Challenge.