John Bruce, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
PIKETON — No matter what a team’s record is in Scioto Valley Conference play, they’re always well-prepared when they step into OHSAA Tournament action.
On Tuesday, the Piketon Redstreaks proved that theory to be true — again — as they dominated visiting Crooksville in three quick sets to earn a trip to a Division III sectional championship match.
In a match that lasted just over an hour, the Redstreaks (7-16) cracked the Ceramics to the tune of a 25-14, 25-11, 25-22 final.
“We have to [play well] from the start,” Piketon’s Kennedy Jenkins said. “If we don’t, we get down really easily. But if we play well right from the start, we know it’s going to be a good night.”
The match started with a 7-0 run from Piketon behind a service line run from Camryn Campbell. The senior setter kept the Ceramics off-balance and out of sorts for the early lead. Following that run, Campbell started to make an impact with excellent ball-handling, leading to dynamic kills from Jenkins and classmate Jazz Lamerson.
Lamerson was dominant from the first serve, displaying outstanding power and agility, often leading to the Ceramics being on their heels and unable to return aggressive spikes. Lamerson finished the opening set with kills on the final three points for the Redstreaks and with eight kills in the first set alone.
“I feel like when I get on a roll, it boosts my team’s confidence,” Lamerson said. “We all just automatically just start playing good. It’s the same with Kennedy. When she starts hitting, everyone starts playing better. Our passes are good, our sets are good and we just keep going.”
While a lot of the scoring came from the Campbell-Lamerson connection, the defensive prowess of Jenkins, Laney Brown and Olivia Farmer at the net, and from Addie Johnson and Allie Taylor on the back row, kept the Ceramics off the board as well.
The ‘Streaks got out to another quick start in the second set, behind Lamerson and excellent service from sophomore Laken Pederson. Once the Ceramics got a slight break, Brown and Jenkins came up with back-to-back kills to take away all momentum. Piketon closed the second with a big kill from Jenkins, her fifth of the game, to take a 2-0 lead.
After the Redstreaks stormed out to a 15-5 lead in the third, it appeared to be all over but the shouting. But credit a young Crooksville squad as it battled back and eventually tied the match at 18-18.
The Redstreaks, however, would take back control back of the match, eventually finishing where they started, with an ace from Campbell.
Lamerson led all players with 20 kills while Campbell, Taylor and Pederson all had three aces for Piketon.
With the win, Piketon advances to a Division III sectional final at 6 p.m., Thursday, where they’ll make a trip to Zane Trace to take on the Pioneers for a third time this season.
“We played really well tonight,” Lamerson said. “But when we’re playing teams like Zane Trace, and we’re down, we lack confidence. That’s when our [level of] play starts to drop. But when we’re on a roll, we get it done.”
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