'I'm just so proud of our team': Ashland puts season into perspective after district loss

MILLBURY — The Ashland High School volleyball team gave it their best shot but couldn't quite recreate the magic they had in the sectional finals, falling to Holland Springfield 3-0 in Division I district semifinal play at Lake High School on Monday.

Ashland closes its season at 13-12 overall and takes home a sectional crown as well, after defeating Sylvania Northview 3-2 on Oct. 18.

One of five seniors for the Arrows, Jenna Hartson put the season in perspective.

"I'm just so proud of our team and how we played together. It's kind of a big jump from last year, as we had a lot of underclassmen come in," Hartson noted with a smile, wiping away a few tears as she spoke for her teammates. "We just fit in with each other, we loved each other and played together, and we just worked as a team every single day, during practice, during games, no matter what it was, if it was team bonding, if it was dinner as a group, we were just all there for each other.

"My favorite thing was just loving each other like everybody on this team brought something different and it's so special, I don't think you see that in many teams," Hartson added. "I have a different relationship with everybody on this team and I'm so thankful for every single one of them, and how we acted on the court and how we acted off the court too."

The things that worked well for Ashland this season, especially in the second half, didn't quite measure up against a very talented Springfield (19-5) team as the Blue Devils had a number of outstanding players lead the team, most notably senior Gretchen Sigman.

The 5-foot-10 left-handed outside hitter swung aggressively from the start of the first match and never let up, finishing with nine kills and an ace. She had help though as senior Alison Wingate registered eight kills, and senior Becca Dauer came up with eight kills and an ace.

Springfield won the first two sets by identical scores of 25-13 before Ashland stepped up its play in the third set, eventually losing 25-19.

But with a group that consisted of Hartson (15 assists, eight digs), and fellow seniors Emma Valentine (15 digs), Lillian Pool (nine kills, three aces), Brooklyn Schmitz (three kills), and Gabby Carver, along with juniors Vivian Walter (four kills), Ava Bond, Emma Paddags, Allison Ward and Sydney Endsley, as well as sophomore Katelyn Aber (four kills), and upstart freshman Rylan McFrederick, Ashland became an extremely competitive and close-knit unit.

"When I talked to them in the locker room, my hope for them is they remember last week," Ashland coach Jenise Vaughn said. "We talked about doing a better job appreciating moments, and last week there was a moment after we won set one, and the girls were dancing in the circle and the fans were going crazy, and I just loved that moment.

"We had a lot of good moments last week that I can remember," Vaughn added. "But it's a double-edged sword the farther you go, the better the teams you play. I wish we would have battled a little harder and made it a little closer, but Springfield is an amazing program, and they were a little too much for us tonight and we couldn't get any momentum going."

The Arrows had been serving well of late but that was one aspect that of their game they had trouble with against the Blue Devils.

"I would say Springfield took us out with their serves too," Vaughn said. "They had really aggressive serves, so we didn't pass well and couldn't run our offense. Last week against Toledo Whitmer and Northview, we got some aces, we got them out of system with our serves, and that's a key to our game."

Still, Vaughn said the team never wavered with the way they fought all season, led by the quintet of seniors.

"My daughter (Arienne) is an eighth grader and I wish she could play with these girls because you won't meet better people," Vaughn lauded of her entire team. "I can rely on them on and off the court. They're just tremendous leaders, they're kind, and they're just incredible people."

Hartson added the underclassmen now must be the ones to move into the leadership roles for next season.

"I just want them to come up and be the leaders we wanted to be like. It's so important leadership," Hartson noted. "The biggest thing in volleyball is leadership and creating other leaders and I just create them as leaders so that can continue on for Ashland volleyball, that we have leaders on the court that can put their heart out every single night, every single day."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: OHSAA Volleyball Tourney: Ashland falls in district semis