Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WAVERLY — At this point, it’s routine.
We’re nearing the end of October, which means Adena’s volleyball program is making plans for its trip to Logan to play in the regional tournament — which seems to be an annual occurrence.
The Warriors made quick work of Southeastern on Saturday in a Division V district championship game, capturing the program’s 39th district crown in a 25-13, 25-15, 25-10 victory.
As usual, the Warriors’ defense, both at the net and in the back row, looked stout.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
If it wasn’t a combination of Katie Burns, Caroline Glandon, Jacey Jones and Adyson Wisecup providing a block at the net, hustle plays from Kimmy Dalton and Jacey Smith in the back did the trick.
Either way, Southeastern’s offense was given a riddle it couldn’t solve.
“Our defense is always communicating, always talking to each other,” Dalton said. “Our connection in the back row is very strong. So we know who’s getting what ball. So it’s easy to play defense because we’re so well-connected.”
Meanwhile, Adena had little trouble finding holes on the floor.
That’s, in part, due to the setting of Kortney Sowers and Allie Bossert, who each found their hitters to continue feeding the well-tuned machine.
“[Sowers and Bossert]’s defense is always good, their sets are good and they’re always making us better,” Dalton said. “They don’t [make a mistake] and give up. They just keep trying so they can make it perfect.”
The Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the first set behind Kylee Dunn but Burns quickly made her presence known.
The SVC Player of the Year powered down two consecutive kills to put her team in front before an ace from Bossert made it a 5-2 game.
Smith later made it a 12-5 before Jones put a ball on the floor for a 15-8 count. That lead swelled to 19-10 before the Warriors put away a 25-13 victory.
Dunn powered the Panthers to a 6-1 lead to begin the second. But Burns and company surged back with an 8-1 run that gave Adena a 9-7 lead — a burst that ended with a kill from Jones.
The Warriors carried that momentum, building a lead of 19-12 after back-to-back aces from Dalton. That was more than enough juice to seal a 25-15 win to go ahead 2-0.
Not much changed in the third, either.
Adena began the set with a 9-0 run to take control. Burns later made it 11-1 before Dalton followed her kill with an ace, ballooning the lead further. That 11-point edge stood intact at 16-5 following a kill from Jones.
From there, cruise control was enabled and the Warriors put a capper on their 39th district crown.
Statistically, Burns led the Warriors with 24 kills — pushing her career total to 1,365 and her season total to 515. Jones finished with 12 kills, Dalton paced the team’s defense with 14 digs, and Smith had 12 digs of her own.
Southeastern was led by Dunn, who had 11 kills, while Calley Stauffer added four. Gracie Brown also chipped in, posting a team-high 14 digs.
While the Panthers’ season comes to a close, Adena advances to the regional tournament, where it will start its search for a 12th state tournament berth.
The first step will be a Division V regional semifinal at 6 p.m., Thursday at Logan High School against Belmont Union Local, a 3-0 winner over Tuscarawas Valley.
“We’ve had a lot of experience [in Logan], especially me with being on the varsity team for four years,” Burns said. “We’ve made it there a ton. And most of us have had experience because of last year. We just know what to expect. The pressure for us … we do have a few younger girls and it’ll be trying to calm them down. The pressure gets us sometimes. So we’ll have to not let that happen.”
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