Crestview’s Kennedy Crider (15) and Myia Etzler defend a shot by Leipsic’s Danavsia Danzy during Thursday night’s Division IV district final at Van Wert.
Don Speck | The Lima News
VAN WERT – Leipsic faced a daunting task Thursday night.
In order to advance to the Division IV regional volleyball tournament, the Vikings had to get past powerful Crestview, a team that had swept them in the regular season.
The Vikings couldn’t do it as the Knights swept their way to a 25-12, 25- 17, 25- victory.
In the opener, Crestview (23-2) took a 6-3 lead on a Cali Gregory (14 kills, 24 assists) kill. A 7-point span put the Knights in front 10-4 and a 6-0 run put them in control 16-6 on a hitting error (21 for the match). Crestview took the set on a tip by Emily Lichtle (14 assists).
“They’re (our girls) in this together, they know that it takes every single one of them to come out on top, and this is just exciting for them, you know, to get to the next level,” Crestview coach Tammy Gregory said.
The Vikings (21-4) seemed to settle in better in set two. They battled their foe on more even terms. They fought to a 9-all tie on a hitting error (24 for the match). Unfortunately for Leipsic, its own miscue started a 7-point spurt for a 16-9 edge on a net violation. Crestview rode the momentum to a 2-set bulge on a Mya Etzler (8 kills, 6 stuffs) stuff. The Knights used precision sets to aid Adely Figley to her game-high 10 kills.
“No one’s ready for that season to end, we’ve played them earlier, they’re in our conference, but in tournament, everybody’s here for the same goal, and we talk a lot about that that big start getting that first game that jump start,” Gregory said. “You know, we want to be that first team to five, that first team in 10 and I think that we showed that we were aggressive and mixed it up, we were able to earn each point.”
The Knights uncharacteristically committed 12 errors in the third set in aiding the Vikings to get back into the match.
Leipsic grabbed an 8-6 margin in the third set on a hit off the block by Alivia Jones (9 kills) before a tip by Gregory jump-started an 8-1 spurt for a 14-9 bulge on a stuff by Haley McCoy (4 stuffs, 6 kills). They kept the lead between three and seven points before finishing the sweep on an angled push by Kennedy Crier.
Kamryn Brough topped the Vikings with 19 assists, while Danaysia Danzy had 6 kills and Morgan Apple had 4.
Dave Boninsegna wrote this story for LimaScores.com. Reach The Lima News sports department at 567-242-0451.
