Dover fall athletes, led by volleyball, collect all-OCC honors

Not surprisingly after a season that saw Dover’s volleyball team reach the Division III regional tournament, the Tornadoes racked up some individual hardware in the postseason.

A year that saw Dover go 23-3 overall and 13-1 in its first season as a member of the Ohio Cardinal Conference – which culminated with an outright conference championship – ended with Chera Schmidt being named conference Defensive Player of the Year, and Beth Mathews being named conference Coach of the Year.

First-team all-conference nods went to seniors Caroline Hanner and Quincey Werntz, with senior Hailey Kuecher earning second-team all-league honors. Receiving all-conference honorable mentions were senior Jenna Molk and junior Alli Hupp.

Hanner also received first-team All-Ohio honors with Werntz earning a spot on the all-state second team.

Dover’s season finally came to an end in the Sweet 16, losing a tough four-set match to Plain City Jonathan Alder.

The following is a look at the finishes achieved and all-conference recognition received by Dover athletes in their first year of play in the Ohio Cardinal Conference. Dover’s football team was not officially a league team this year and therefore not eligible for all-league honors.

Boys soccer

Dover finished only fifth in the Ohio Cardinal Conference, which was won by Madison Comprehensive but the Tornadoes compiled an impressive 16-6-1 record, which included a trip to regionals, where the Tornadoes beat Jackson in the semifinal to earn a trip to the Elite 8, losing 2-0 to eventual state champion Columbus Bishop Waterson. Senior Yassine Mohamed earned first-team All-OCC honors. Senior Dawson VanDonge and junior Robert Wayland were named second-team all-league, while junior Owen Duda and senior Cayden Escusa each received an All-OCC honorable mention.

Girls Soccer

Dover had an impressive first season in the OCC, going 11-8-1 overall, 4-3-1 in the league. Senior Peyton Grafe was named first-team all-conference. Senior Bridget McCrate earned a second-team nod. Receiving all-conference honorable mentions were junior Abigail Lane and senior Ansley Bollon. The Tornadoes capped the season with a district championship and a spot in the Elite 8, where their season finally ended with a loss to Marietta.

Golf

Playing in the Ohio Cardinal Conference for the first time, the Dover girls team logged a fourth-place finish. Tatum Tylke earned a spot on the All-OCC second team, finishing eighth, just one position away from a first-team honor. Joining her on the all-conference second team were Livie Hamilton and Sophia Wicker. Rebekah Fockler received an All-OCC honorable mention … The Dover boys finished fifth in their inaugural OCC season. Austin Levengood placed ninth in the conference to earn second-team all-league honors. Four spots behind him, also earning a second-team all-league nod, was George Stingel.

Cross Country

Dover’s boys finished third in the OCC behind state champion Lexington and New Philadelphia, which at one point was ranked No. 1 in the state. Senior Chase Daniel was a first-team All-GCC performer. The girls team finished sixth in the conference. Sophomore Bethany Hutchison earned second-team all-conference honors.