John Bruce, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by Holzer Health System.
CHILLICOTHE — How a team handles adversity can make or break it.
Adena proved what it could do under that sort of pressure on Tuesday night.
By making a quick adjustment after a pregame injury, the Warriors were forced to deal with the latest blow to their attack. But they did so in impressive fashion, rolling to a four-set victory at Unioto.
Coach Laura Smith’s team was already prepared to play without junior middle hitter Peytyn Lemaster, but when fellow junior Kelsea Brown went down with an injury during warmups, Smith and her Warriors acted quickly.
After a quick huddle, Adena returned to its pregame routine with some minor adjustments added. Then, there were some important moments of leadership from the team’s veterans.
“Kimmy [Dalton] has been playing varsity for a while, she’s mature and knows the game. Jacey [Jones] is the same way for a junior, and Kortney [Sowers], they all three just know that you need to stay cool, calm and collected,” Smith said of her team, after the huddle.
The Warriors (2-0, 1-0 SVC) showcased their ability to remain calm in a hectic moment by winning the opening set by a 25-21 final — even after trailing 18-16 late.
A Unioto service error opened the door for Adena, which Sowers kicked open at the service line. The senior’s service helped keep the Shermans out of system, leading to a pair of hitting errors before kills from sophomore Gabby Francis and freshman Mia Free gave Adena a 22-18 lead.
Unioto (2-3, 0-1 SVC) stopped the run with a swing from Abagail Watson, before Francis and Free responded to push Adena’s advantage to 24-19. The Tanks showed some life, but junior Evelyn Ramsey hammered home a kill to earn the first set victory for the visitors.
The Shermans worked to get even in the match with a more stable attack as Charlotte Dennis, Kori Grubbs and Watson all found holes in the defense off sets from Kinzli Batson to keep the Warriors at arm’s length after a tight start.
A 5-0 run in the middle of the set gave the Shermans some breathing room, but Adena still cut the deficit to 22-20 after a kill from freshman Karissa Jones.
Unioto responded with a pair of kills from a freshman of their own in Kara Spetnagel, closing out a 25-20 win to pull even in the match.
Even after losing four senior starters from a season ago, plus playing without two impact players, the Warriors never wavered.
“We start working in the beginning of the summer and getting to know each other better,” Smith said of her team’s chemistry. “We find out what makes each other tick and I think that the closer we can be with each other, the better. We build those bonds and that’s part of what makes the difference.”
Beyond the teamwork and camaraderie, the Warriors completely took over the match at the service line.
The aggressive service in the third helped get the Shermans out of system in their attack, leading to several hitting errors. A set that Unioto once led in by a 7-4 margin quickly flipped to a 17-11 advantage for Adena.
The Warriors finished off a 25-16 win, thanks to another Unioto hitting error — one of their 30 in the match.
The Warriors leapt out in front in the fourth with outstanding defense, both at the net and on the back line.
The Warriors kept their attack in system, eventually extending their lead to as large as 17-10. The Shermans closed to the gap to 19-15, but Adena was too much to handle, finishing the match with a kill from freshman Makenlee Colter to close out the match.
In the match, the Warriors had a trio of freshmen play major roles in Colter, Free and Jones,
“They’re all good athletes with decent skills,” Smith said of her freshman triumvirate. “They are still working along with some stuff, but I was really proud of them.”
The Warriors will return to action on Thursday for their home opener when they welcome Zane Trace to Frankfort.
“They’re a nice team,” Smith said of the Pioneers. “[ZT’s Karlee] Snavely is a great hitter and [Kerrigan] Hill on the outside, she presents a different challenge. We’ll have a game plan, but it’ll be a good match.”
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