The Fort Mitchell program that swept its way to a 2022 state championship has been named one of Northern Kentucky's 50 greatest prep sports teams.
LINK nky published the 2022 Notre Dame Academy Pandas as Day 39 of its "50 Greatest NKY Prep Sports Teams in 50 Days" countdown on Thursday, July 30. The series, selected by a panel of longtime NKY sports fans assembled by sports editor Evan Dennison, has run daily since June 22.
@linknky: "State champions. A roster loaded with future Division I talent. The 2022 Notre Dame Pandas were one of the most dominant volleyball teams in Kentucky history, earning their place among NKY's 50 greatest prep sports teams."
Notre Dame finished 34-5 that season and beat Paul Laurence Dunbar 3-0 (25-22, 25-11, 25-16) in the state championship match. The Pandas went 14-0 against 9th Region opponents.
The 2022 squad sent at least eight players to college volleyball programs, including multiple Division I signees.
Sydney Nolan led the team with 487 kills and earned state tournament MVP honors after putting down 18 kills in the title match. She collected AVCA and MaxPreps All-American recognition, played at the University of North Carolina, then transferred to Cincinnati, where she earned First Team All-Big 12 honors in 2025.
Kamden Schrand, a Villa Hills native, anchored the defense with 572 digs and 85 service aces, earning Kentucky Defensive Player of the Year. Schrand signed with Louisville and led the ACC in total digs (489) last season, playing all 33 matches.
Ava Tilden ranked second on the team with 272 kills and signed with Xavier alongside teammate Julia Grace. Lauren Ott ran the offense with a team-high 694 assists. Audrey Dyas, then a freshman, led the Pandas with 82 blocks and will begin her career at Toledo.
The list goes deeper. Kayla Hostetler went to Cincinnati. Riley McCloskey played at Memphis before transferring to Morehead State. Grace Portwood signed with Indianapolis, and Lizzy Larkins with Ohio Dominican.
Co-head coaches Leslie Litmer and Jenna Leistner are both Hall of Fame members. Litmer was inducted into the Morehead State University Athletics Hall of Fame; Leistner into the Northern Kentucky University Hall of Fame.
The 2022 title was no outlier for the program. Notre Dame won the inaugural KHSAA volleyball championship in 1979, returned as state runner-up in 2023, and reached the state tournament again in 2025. Current Panda Teagan Kondik earned KVCA all-state honors last season and has committed to a college program as the 2026 season approaches.
The 2026 Kentucky high school volleyball season opens Monday, August 17.
