Carson Francis, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WELLSTON — It was clear all season long that this South Webster team was not the South Webster of years past.
Last fall, the Jeepes said goodbye to a senior class with plenty of experience — and plenty of accolades to show for it.
That senior class had won four district titles, three SOC crowns, and made a trip to the Final 4 as freshmen in 2021.
And when the Jeeps entered the postseason this past month with a 13-9 record — the team’s most losses in a regular season since 2017 — with a much younger core, many doubted if South Webster could put together yet another deep postseason run.
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
Simply put, the Jeeps had no regard for what the doubters thought.
After making quick work of Portsmouth West in a district semifinal, SW returned to Wellston High School on Saturday afternoon to face Lynchburg-Clay in a Division VI district final.
There, the Jeeps got off to a fast start and, although the Mustangs put up some resistance, they fought their way to a 25-6, 25-15, 16-25, 25-12 victory — clinching the program’s seventh straight district title.
“This is a very different team, and that’s OK. At a small school, every year, you have that turnover, and every year you have to take the kids that you have and develop them. Back in June, I didn’t know what this was going to look like. I didn’t know if we would be back here,” Jeeps head coach Darcee Claxon said. “But they worked really hard throughout the season. I’ve got two great assistant coaches that I trust to work on individual skills and try and get these kids where they need to be. So, yes, it’s a totally different team, but the effort, the work ethic and the grit is still there, and I think that’s why we continue to be successful.”
The Jeeps (15-9) carried their energy from their previous outing right into the opening set of Saturday’s match.
After the two teams exchanged points to start, Addi Claxon went to the service line for the Jeeps — where she was dialed in.
The senior delivered four straight service aces to spark an 11-0 run, putting the Jeeps ahead by a 12-1 advantage.
The Mustangs (19-6) used a timeout to try and halt the momentum, but they had no answer. When LC finally scored out of the timeout, the 10-point deficit was the smallest margin they trailed by throughout the rest of the set.
Meanwhile, the Jeeps extended the lead to as high as 18 points before Sidney Keslar assisted Addi Claxon for set point, finishing off a 25-6 win.
Lynchburg-Clay still had a lot left in the tank, though.
While the Jeeps came out with the same fire in the second, building a 10-3 lead after an Ava Claxon kill, the Mustangs slowly began to chip away.
Senior setter Ava McLaughlin set up Kylie O’Connor for a kill before McLaughlin chipped in herself, giving Lynchburg-Clay two quick points.
Then, trailing 13-6, McLaughlin assisted Halle Greene to spark a 7-2 run that finished off with another kill from Greene, followed by a Joslyn Rockey service ace and two Jeep errors, cutting the deficit to 15-13.
The Mustangs had all the momentum, but South Webster, having been on this stage before, didn’t panic.
Coming out of a timeout, the Jeeps found their rhythm again, courtesy of back-to-back kills from Kennedy Hamilton. An Ava Claxon kill and a Mustang attacking error extended SW’s lead to 19-13.
Lynchburg-Clay tried to respond, but it wouldn’t amount to nearly enough. Ava Claxon again fired one into the back row for a set-clinching kill as the Jeeps ended on a 10-2 run — going up 2-0 in the match with a 25-15 win.
Still, Lynchburg-Clay wasn’t ready to tap out.
Facing elimination, the Mustangs came off the mat and started swinging. A pair of kills from Addy Carraher and a service ace from Melaney Stephenson highlighted a 7-1 start to the set for LC.
After a Jeep timeout, the Mustangs then built leads of 12-3, 14-4 and 17-8. South Webster never trailed by less than seven, and although it tried to fight back toward the end of the set, the hole was too deep to climb out of.
McLaughlin and O’Connor connected once more for the set’s final point, keeping the Mustangs alive with a 25-16 set win.
“It started to feel, in that second set, that we were kind of just going through the motions, and that’s dangerous in volleyball. I don’t care who you’re playing, momentum changes, and it becomes dangerous,” Claxon said. “In the third set, [Lynchburg-Clay] was getting excited, they had that energy, and we’re committing unforced errors. I said, ‘Why are we playing like we’re behind? Why are we playing scared here?’ I told them to go out and play the way you know how. Believe in your training, believe in your teammates, and let’s get this game finished.”
After being forced to keep the brooms in the closet, South Webster looked to put the Mustangs away for good.
Trailing 5-3 early in the fourth, the Jeeps used the passing of Keslar, who assisted three different times to spearhead a 7-0 run and put SW ahead 10-5. When Lynchburg-Clay responded and cut the deficit to 12-8, South Webster went pedal to the metal and never looked back.
Now leading 17-10, the Jeeps sent Addi Claxon back to the service line, where she delivered with three aces in a row. This was more than enough momentum to set up the Jeeps for match point at 24-12.
From there, Keslar set one up for Chloe Milligan, who launched the ball into Lynchburg’s back row for the match-winner, finishing off the Mustangs in four sets to seal the deal.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to them as a core group being committed to the task at hand. We’ve had lots of conversations all year long about that, and I’m sure it started with our leadership,” Claxon said. “You’ve just got to let things go, relax a little bit, have fun and find your joy. Enjoy playing the game. There shouldn’t be so much pressure that it’s not fun anymore, but you have to give your best effort to have fun.”
The Jeeps’ senior class will graduate with another impressive feature on their resume — winning a district title every year of their high school journey.
“[South Webster’s seniors] have worked very hard. These kids have been playing together since they were in elementary. They’ve been a tiny little class, size-wise, but they’ve always played with a lot of heart,” Claxon said. “They’ve stuck it out, they’ve understood their roles and filled those roles, and done with it what was best for the team. That’s another reason I think we’re so successful. It’s not about who gets the spotlight or the attention. It’s about what role can I fill that’s best for the team and not worry about all the outside noise.”
The Jeeps will advance to Wednesday night’s Division VI regional semifinal against fellow SOC III opponent, Valley, who swept Eastern to advance.
That matchup is slated for a 6 p.m. start at Zanesville High School.
“We’ve played tough teams all season long. [Valley] is super athletic and they’ve got coaches that know what they’re doing. I know that they’ll bring their A-game to us,” Claxon said. “For us, it’s going to be about bringing our best effort and our best game, and competing at a high level and not allowing them to set the tone of the game.”
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