Streak continues: Strasburg volleyball wins its eighth straight with sweep of East Canton

EAST CANTON — The talented Strasburg Tigers’ volleyball team has been simply dominating over the past month.

The Tigers won their eighth straight match and remained unbeaten in the Inter Valley Conference North Division by rolling to a 3-0 conference sweep of East Canton Thursday night.

“We’re pretty solid all-around,” said Strasburg head volleyball coach Kaylyn Archer. “I’m grateful for the girls I do have this year — they all mesh really well.”

With the triumph, Strasburg is now 12-4 overall and a perfect 9-0 in the IVC North.

“Strasburg, they’re movers,” said East Canton head coach Nicole Shadle. “You have to play the ball perfectly, and even then, sometimes they’re still getting it.”

Just how dominant has Strasburg been during its eight-match winning streak?

Consider this: During its eight-win run, the Tigers have won 22 of 27 sets against their opponents, and it includes posting match shutouts over five of those foes.

“This is my fifth year, and the program has grown since I’ve taken it over,” Archer said. “Two years ago, we were district runner-up and this year we are in the running for the IVC championship, which would be the first time in 19 years since Strasburg has had an IVC title (in volleyball).”

The Tigers’ statistical leaders Thursday included junior standout Riley Thomas (16 points, six kills, three blocks and 12 digs), Lyla Wiggs (17 assists, two aces), Ella Gilkerson (seven kills), Addyson Sibila (seven digs), Reagan Eberhardt (five blocks), Ally Miller (three blocks) and Ada Richards (six points).

“(Thomas) can put the ball down and (Strasburg’s) back row defensively, they move,” Shadle said.

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East Canton’s leaders included Kay Huprich (two points, one ace, five kills), Aysia Meyers (two points, one ace), Ally Hall (two points, one ace), Sarah Helms (two points) and Amirah Hartzell (two kills).

“(Kay Huprich) had some intense kills out there,” Shadle said. “When the sets were on there, she was calling the plays and she was able to execute them, and Aysia Meyers, she does a really good job, she’s a senior and gets the girls rallied up and keeps them going.”

Meanwhile, some of the players on the Strasburg volleyball team were members of Tigers’ state Division IV champion softball team last spring, so they’re accustomed to winning at the highest level.

They certainly left no doubt on Thursday as they opened the evening with a 25-3 win in the first set, as Thomas served the final 13 points for the Tigers and had three kills in the set.

In the second set, the two teams were tied early at 2-2 after East Canton’s Huprich recorded a kill. But the Tigers went on to outscore the Wizards 23-10 the rest of the way, with Strasburg’s Ada Richards serving the final three points.

In the third and final set, Strasburg raced out to a 10-1 advantage, following a kill by Thomas. The Tigers’ lead remained nine or 10 points for most of the set, but leading 19-9, Strasburg outscored the hosts 6-1 and wrapped up the set and team win when Tiger Lyla Wiggs served the final two points. Gilkerson also had three points in the final set.

“Ella (Gilkerson) is always great on serving, she always racks up a lot of points,” Archer said, “and Ally Miller is always huge at the net for us as well.”

East Canton’s Shadle said the Inter Valley Conference is very strong in volleyball.

“The IVC is a tough league and especially at the beginning when we do our crossover games, they’re really tough,” Shadle said. “We fought as hard as we could (tonight).”

Thursday’s event was a special benefit match for a local East Canton family with a young child facing a health issue. All proceeds for the evening were donated to that family.

“It started out as Volley for the Cure, and then we changed it to a benefit game because there was a need, not cancer-related in our community, and we came together to raise some money to support that local family,” Shadle said.

Strasburg has a big week scheduled next week, starting with a trip to Sandy Valley on Monday as well as a big IVC rematch at Tusky Central Catholic Thursday against a team that reached the D4 regional last fall.

East Canton will host Southern Local from the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference Monday evening.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Strasburg volleyball sweeps East Canton, dominates IVC North