Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — In the search for her first career coaching victory on Monday night, Southeastern head coach Taylor Pepin learned something about her Panthers.
They don’t back down easily.
After winning the night’s first two sets, Southeastern dropped the next two. But with all momentum on Jackson’s bench, Pepin’s girls didn’t hang their heads.
Instead, they battled back in a big way.
The end result was, eventually, a hard-fought five-set win — a 26-24, 25-21, 26-28, 22-25, 15-10 final that handed Pepin her first victory and taught the youth-laden Panthers (1-0) a valuable lesson.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“It’s amazing and it’s a great start,” Pepin said. “But we definitely have a lot of stuff to work on. We had some curveballs today with a couple of girls out sick. So we changed the lineup. But we have some big things to do and to work on this season. I’m excited for it.”
The Panthers’ fast start was spearheaded by the play of sophomore Kylee Dunn.
She asserted her presence at the net early and often, finding holes in Jackson’s defense and giving the Ironladies’ hitters fits as a block.
The 6-foot-1 middle hitter ended the night with a team-high 17 kills, alongside a bevy of blocks. It was quite the opening night performance.
“I’m super blessed to have [Dunn] as a sophomore,” Pepin said. “She’s an amazing player. She still has a lot to learn, but she’s playing great. We’re excited for the next couple of years with her.”
The Panthers took their first lead at 4-3 in the first set before Dunn later powered a 5-0 run to extend the edge to 15-10. That lead was still intact at 18-12 but Jackson (1-1) answered with a 7-1 run, one led by senior captain Ella Osborne, to force a 19-19 deadlock.
After going back and forth, playing to ties at 20, 21 and 22, the Panthers created separation with two straight scores. But the Ironladies fought back — a sign of things to come — to force a 24-24 tie.
That’s when SE’s Lilly Steele and Reese Ruckel logged back-to-back points to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead in the match.
“One thing for [Jackson], they truly come together as a team,” Pepin said. “You don’t hear their coach telling them to communicate or to pick the energy up. I feel like that’s where we’re truly lacking. We’re not lacking in skill, I don’t think. It’s more of bringing them together as a team, as one. That’s what we’re struggling with.”
In the second, Dunn placed her team in a good position, helping to build a 9-5 lead. Later, Southeastern ripped off a 7-0 run, one that ended with a kill from Jade Turner, to go ahead 16-8.
PHOTOS: Images from Southeastern’s win over Jackson
While the Ironladies did put up a fight, cutting the deficit to just three at one point, Southeastern managed to put away a 25-21 win and, with it, a 2-0 match lead.
At that point, the Panthers were clearly in the driver’s seat. But something quickly changed.
Southeastern took a 5-4 lead in the third and held it throughout the game. But with a 24-22 lead and at match point, Jackson refused to go away. Osborne and fellow senior Emma Carroll led the charge to tie the game at 24-24 before eventually gritting out a 28-26 win.
Jackson had stunned the Panthers and — all of the sudden — grabbed all momentum.
The Ironladies kept it going in the fourth, too.
Behind Osborne and Carroll, and a defense anchored by senior Kaylin Sheppard, Jackson built a 12-7 lead midway through. Southeastern answered with an 8-0 run to go ahead 15-12, but Caroll wouldn’t be denied.
The Ironladies’ standout outside hitter logged a kill and an ace to force a 16-16 tie before later giving the team a one-point lead at 23-22. She’s, fittingly, end the set with a kill to force a race to 15.
“I just told them that we had complete faith in them,” Pepin said. “I also told them that at this point, we had given them all the knowledge that they needed. They just needed to implement it. If they wanted it, that’s where they needed to fight. That’s where they needed to get back into it.”
In the fifth, the Ironladies went ahead 4-1 before Dunn and Ruckel teamed up for a 4-0 run to make it 5-4. The Panthers never trailed again.
SE built leads of 8-5 and 11-8 before Steele slammed the door shut with a service ace, closing out a 15-10 win.
Following Dunn’s 17 kills was Turner, who turned in eight of her own to go alongside a team-high 31 digs. Briley Kirkbride and Gracie Brown also chipped in with 22 digs each while Lilly Steele added 22 assists and 21 digs. Mary Stanley also stood out, posting 20 assists.
“Right now, it’s just about getting more consistent,” Pepin said. “Jade, I’ve had her in my first year coaching here and she’s definitely blossomed. She’s got it all. She just has to stay out of her head. If she can do that, she’s got all the potential in the world.”
Jackson rebounded with a sweep of Paint Valley on Tuesday evening and will host Alexander on Thursday. That’s the same evening Southeastern will be back in action, hosting South Webster in non-league play.
“It’ll be a tough game for sure. We need to work on our defense and our blocking,” Pepin said. “I feel like they could also definitely see the court better. So those are the things we’ll be working on.”
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