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Maroon Knights Topple Their Red Counterparts in 5

Photo by Mike Hughes Wheeling Central’s Kamryn Conners (9) hits off the block attempt by Toronto’s Andrea Reeves (9) and Ashton Thomas (23).

WHEELING–Toronto and Wheeling Central entered this week’s OVAC Class AA volleyball standings ranked first and third respectively.

The last time the two squared off back on September 6 in Toronto, the Red Knights pulled out a five-set match after falling behind early. It came as little surprise that Wednesday’s rematch in East Wheeling was just as contested.

This time, however, it was the Maroon Knights that got the best of their Red counterparts, earning the 17-25, 25-18, 25-18, 18-25, 15-12 victory.

“We were expecting a fight,” Wheeling Central head coach Kara Conners said. “We were down a hitter and we just rallied together and made it happen. They are a really good team and a tough team.”

Toronto, which was playing its third match in three days, was coming off impressive performances against Steubenville Big Red and Conotton Valley.

The Red Knights, led by junior standout Hannah Dobbs, took the first set 25-17 with Dobbs closing out the opening frame with a thundering blast.

During the next two sets, Toronto started playing slightly inconsistent, mixing spurts of solid effort with what head coach Lori Lynn Jackson felt was far from what she’s come to expect from her team this season.

“We played three big games in a row and dominated the first two and then, I’m not sure what happened this one,” Jackson said. “We came out flat and lacked a little bit of confidence. I’m not taking anything away from (Central), they played a heck of a game and they deserved to win.

“They absolutely outplayed us.”

During the second set, Central senior Delaney O’Connell starting catching fire from the outside, leading the home club in taking the second set.

From there on out, it was the Kamryn Conners show for Central.

The senior totaled 33 kills and 24 digs and whenever the Maroon Knights needed a big play, No. 9 was ready and willing to come up big.

Conners got the measure of the court and mixed up thundering cross-court spikes with well-placed shots down the line, whether she was trying to work around the block attempts, or through them.

“I think (Conners) played an amazing game,” Jackson said. “She played phenomenal and just read the court well, tipped when we weren’t there and hit when the block wsn’t there.

“She definitely ran that court on us.”

Dobbs also had an impressive effort, totaling 28 kills to go with 11 digs. She played a major role in the Red Knights forcing a fifth set after registering nine kills in the fourth.

She scored four of the team’s first five points in the final set before the errors and miscues started becoming a factor for Toronto.

Whether it was a slow move to receive a serve or attempt to dig an attack from primarily Conners, Toronto was hit or miss the latter half of the fifth set.

“We were slow reactive playing and the focus and the hustle just wasn’t there,” Jackson said. “I’m not sure if being a third (match) in a set of three, but this is not the team I’ve seen so far this year.”

O’Connell finished with 14 kills to back Conners as the two did more than an admirable job making up for not having fellow outside hitter Nicole Reasbeck.

Once the tandem started ringing up kills with regularity, the Central coach knew her team had found its rhythm.

“Sometimes we are slow to get started and figure out what works and press on from there,” Coach Conners said. “Once we found our rhythm, we were okay. We had to work around how to attack the other side of the net and once we figured out how to do that, we just kept pushing.”

Andrea Reeves had 35 assists and 13 digs, Callie Anderson added 20 digs and Ashton Thomas totaled 12 blocks for the Red Knights.

Alexis Hood (28) and Lainey Peters (19) combined for nearly 50 assists for Central.

VOLLEYBALL

Magnolia sweep tri

MORGANTOWN — The Blue Eagles picked up a pair of wins Wednesday, defeating Trinity (25-9, 25-14) and Fairmont Senior (25-15, 25-13) in a triangular match.

Jenna Blain and Lauren Gaiser led the team with 14 kills apiece while Blain had three digs and an aces and Gaiser supplied four digs, three aces and seven digs.

Sydney Knight dished out 44 assists and Julia Lilze had 11 digs and two aces. Maddi Yoho had eight kills and two aces.

Bridgeport trips River

BRIDGEPORT — The Bulldogs fell in the first set, but bounced back to win the next three and the match Wednesday by scores of 22-25, 25-19, 25-19 and 25-18.

The Bulldogs were led by Kaylee Bain’s 14 points, five aces, eight kills, 10 digs and three blocks. Campbell Kropka pitched in 11 points, four kills, 16 assists and four digs. Markiee McCormick added two aces, six kills, 19 assists, five digs, while Josalyn Canter supplied 10 kills, five digs and two aces. Alana Myers posted seven points and five digs.

Shadyside falls at Frontier

BEAVERTON — Frontier needed three sets to finish off Shadyside by scores of 25-19, 26-24 and 25-22.

The Tigers were led by senior standout Gentry Brown’s 18 kills, 10 digs and two blocks. Bayleigh Harman had 16 assists and eight kills. Ali Weatherson had 12 assists and Abby Gorrell posted six digs.

Barnesville spikes Ferry

MARTINS FERRY – The visiting Shamrocks prevailed by scores of 25-19, 25-12 and 25-20 inside the Tolbert Gymnasium.

Leading Barnesville was Halle Markovich with 14 kills, three digs and a trio of points. Ellie Thompson added 11 kills, six digs, 14 points and two aces. Kynlie chipped in 31 digs and four points; Ava McFarland finished with 31 assists, seven points and six digs; Blayne Carpenter had 12 digs and seven points; and Jalyn Skinner registered six points and five digs.

The Purple Riders were led by Sydney Koller with 10 digs, eight kills; Lindsay Best 14 digs, four kills, two blocks and a pair of aces; Hannah Meeker added 13 assistsand four digs, while McKenzie Carte finished with four kills and a like number of blocks.

Monroe sweeps Buckeye Local

WOODSFIELD – The Seminoles won by scores of 25-19, 25-13 and 25-5 over the Panthers.

Kynzi Bishop paced the winners with 10 kills, seven points and two aces, while Ryleigh Winland added 18 points, 10 digs and five aces. Kyra English chipped in 14 points, 13 assists, six digs and three aces. Abby Thompson charted nine kills and seven blocks.

Leading Buckeye Local were Pam Kandrach with five kills, six digs and two blocks. Brynn McKeever recorded 32 sets, eight digs, six assists and four kills.

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