High school volleyball: Valle’s Loida, Bertram Tops In State

Sam Loida

Ella Bertram

By ERIC VICCARO

eviccaro@stegenherald.com

Two Valle Catholic High School volleyball players have earned all-state distinction.

The Missouri State High School Volleyball Coaches Association (MHSVCA) named senior middle blocker Ella Bertram and senior setter Sam Loida to the Class 3 all-state team.

This marks Bertram’s third all-state honor, and first at the Class 3 level.

“For Ella, it’s fantastic, and speaks to her growth and consistency,” said Valle Catholic head coach Nancy Fischer.

Bertram dazzled all season long, with 464 kills in 901 attacks for a .424 hitting efficiency. She also recorded a 51.5 kill percentage.

Bertram also had 37 solo ace blocks and 113 ace block assists, with an average of 3.8 blocks per match. She also helped out defensively with 61 digs.

Loida was one of the Warriors most gifted all-around players.

“I was tickled for Sam, it was well-deserved,” Fischer said. 

Loida, running the Warriors’ 5-1 offense, dished out 865 assists in 100 sets played. She also had 51 kills, 32 ace block assists and 240 digs.

Loida served 42 aces in 415 attempts, with an accuracy of 94.7 percent. She earned 246 points on her serve.

The MHSVCA all-state selection committee met on Friday, Nov. 12 to determine who would make Missouri’s elite squad.

To make the team, a player had to be at least an all-district performer or wild card entry among those schools who advanced to the Final Four in Classes 1-5.

Fischer said academic, all-state honors will not be released until late January when the first semester is finished.

Other regional players to earn all-state status are: Kennedy Lane and Hannah Leftridge (St. Pius X/Festus), Rylee McClintock (Cape Notre Dame), Emma Breier, Kirstyn Loyd, Paige Siebert and Ava Roth (Jefferson R-7/Festus) and Maddie Ayers and Drew Gayle (South Iron). 

Loida and Bertram were key factors in the Warriors’ finishing with a 32-5-3 record, and third place overall in Class 3.