'A team effort': Jackson volleyball holds off Perry, wins another OHSAA district title

HUDSON — There was no time for the Jackson girls volleyball team to fret about a rare set loss.

With their latest goal still within reach, that's one thing the Polar Bears never came close to doing.

Jackson regrouped a beat a confident Perry team 25-17, 25-20, 27-29, 25-21 in Thursday's Division I district title match Hudson High School. The Polar Bears will return to Hudson next Thursday to face Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin in a regional semifinal.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: Thursday roundup: Canton Central Catholic volleyball wins second straight district title

The Panthers' 29-27 win in the third set was significant. It stopped the Polar Bears' 23-set win streak dating back to their last match loss on Sept. 30. Green was the only Federal League team that won a set from Jackson during the regular season.

The Polar Bears were not fazed. They opened up a 19-13 lead in the fourth set and held on after the Panthers withstood three match points.

"They're really good," Jackson senior Camden Dolan said. "It's hard to beat a team more than twice. That's what we've been told.

"We just tried to get through it one point at a time."

Dolan had three aces among her 11 points and 21 assists for the Polar Bears (21-4), who won their eighth straight. Up front, Abbey Debevec had 13 kills and Leigh James finished with nine blocks.

Perry made Jackson earn this district title. The Polar Bears used runs of 12-4 in the first set and 10-1 in the second set to go up 2-0. The fourth set was up for grabs before Jackson closed things out.

"The one thing we know about Perry is their kids never stop playing," Jackson head coach Mary Kate Agona said. "Their kids will fight and fight and fight.

"We just needed to settle down a little bit and play within ourselves. We had to go back to some fundamentals in our game plan and play with a little bit of confidence."

The Polar Bears are not built around dominant player. A collective effort has helped carry them this far in 2023.

Olivia Hayes, one of Jackson's three seniors, added 10 kills Thursday. Haylee Wenner also helped anchor the defense.

"We had different kids step up at different times," Agona said. " ... When I say it's a team effort, it's not a cliche in this case."

The Panthers walked away from their final match of the 2023 season with no regrets.

"They're not sad because they lost," Perry head coach Sheena Stropki said. "They're sad because it's over."

Four of Stropki's seniors made an impact in their final games.

Brooke Jannelli served 11 points. Emma Weirich finished with 11 kills. Sarah Mohr had 33 assists. Hope Miller ended up with 22 digs.

The Panthers finished 14-11 after starting the season with four straight losses.

"A lot of people didn't think we would ever make it here," Stropki said. "I think that's what they're most proud of. We were the underdogs all season."

As for Jackson, another regional appearance awaits. The Polar Bears made it after graduating many players from last year's Sweet 16 team.

"It has been challenging, but it's really exciting to be back," Dolan said.

Reach Mike at mike.popovich@cantonrep.com

On X: @mpopovichREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jackson High School volleyball holds off Perry, wins OHSAA district