Lexington volleyball sweeps to consecutive OHSAA sectional titles
LEXINGTON — Two consecutive sectional championships seem like a ho-hum accomplishment for a program as storied as Lexington volleyball.
But it was still a reason to celebrate Thursday night. With its 25-19, 25-13 and 25-15 win over Clear Fork, Lexington won a Division II sectional in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2016-17. And even though Lady Lex doesn't put all of its concentration on the grand picture, it sure was nice to earn a championship.
"Our goal was always to get 1% better every single day and I feel like we did get better tonight," Lexington coach Janelle Wyant said. "Sure, we started a little rocky, but I love the way they came back. I am happy with the team effort. It is great for Lexington volleyball and the community. We are trying to build the interest in the sport and winning championships is a great way to do that."
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Lex got out to a bit of a slow start sitting tied with the 10th-seeded Colts, tied 14-14 midway through the first set but closed with a 4-1 run to find its groove.
"I knew we would come out a little shaky," Wyant said. "There was a big crowd; it is tournament time, so getting used to that environment is tough. We have just three returning varsity letter winners so we had some inexperience out there, but I am proud of the way they rebounded from a slow start. It was a great team effort."
Sophomore Ava Brown, who ended up with 24 kills and 13 digs in the win, was happy with the way her team responded.
"We came out with a strong warm-up but ended up slacking a little bit at the beginning of the first set," Brown said. "But, once we settled down and closed out the first set and started the second, we brought our A-game. We went quick and played how we were supposed to play."
From there, it was all Lexington as Clear Fork battled but didn't have the firepower to keep up. Tatum Stover had 11 kills and 16 digs while Bella Temple handed out 36 assists and Savannah Wolf added 13 digs to for Lady Lex.
"We just had to settle in and take a deep breath," Wyant said. "We had to find our groove, play our game, control the pass and get into some good swings. We have a lot of weapons and it is key to get the ball to Bella to run the offense. We did a much better job of that late in the first set and early in the second."
Lexington (18-5) moves on to the Division II district tournament at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Seneca East High School, where it will take on Ontario in an all-Richland County semifinal. Lady Lex will be hunting for its first district championship since 2017, when it made it to the regional championship game. Brown would love nothing more than to lead her team back there, establishing a new program expectation in the process.
"It is amazing to be a part of this team and this great group of girls," Brown said. "We have had so much fun this season winning games and bonding as a team. We have great chemistry on the court."
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Lexington Lady Lex beats Clear Fork in OHSAA sectional volleyball final
