Wheeling Central Moves On With Sweep Of Valley In Sectional Semis
Trending
WHEELING - Although it hadn't played in two weeks, the Wheeling Central volleyball team performed as if it had been playing all along.
The Maroon Knights (12-11) dispatched visiting Valley in straight sets Wednesday night in a W.Ca. Class A, Region I, Section I sectional semifinal on Coach Skip Prosser Court inside the Maroon Knights Athletic Complex in East Wheeling.
The victory came by scores of 25-10, 25-10 and 25-13 over the short-handed Lumberjills (16-15) in a match that took just under an hour to complete. Wheeling Central advances to the sectional finals tonight, also at home, against Magnolia. The first volley is at 6. Both teams have already advanced to the Region I semifinals next week.
"We had seven or eight service errors. We won't be able to do that tomorrow night," first-year Wheeling Central head coach Beth Blake said. "We've been practicing hard. We took a couple of days off there, but we've been working really hard in practice."
The first set saw the two squads tied at 2 before Wheeling Central took control. It rattled off 13 of the next 16 to grab a commanding, 15-5, advantage. Valley made it 15-9, but would get no closer as the Maroon Knights tallied 10 of the final 11 markers.
Wheeling Central snapped a 2-all stalemate in the second set, taking an 8-6 lead. However, a 10-0 run sealed the deal as the hosts were in total control.
The Maroon Knights led 5-1, 13-7, 16-9 and 21-10 in the third - and final - set. The Lumberjills cut the deficit to 22-13, but back-to-back aces by freshman Olivia Stephens and the final of 12 kills by sophomore Lainey Peters capped the match.
"Lainey played really well tonight," Blake praised. "She hit very well."
Blake also praised the play of senior Natalie Chaplin and sophomore Helene Crall.
"Natalie played well tonight and Helene always plays well," the coach noted.
Peters led the Wheeling Central charge with her dozen kills as Wheeling Central controlled the net all night long. Crall added six kills and Chaplin finished with five. Senior Alexis Hood charted 16 assists and Stephens chipped in 12 digs and four service aces.
Valley's stats were unavailable.
"We didn't have three of our senior starters in the lineup tonight," Valley head coach Gabby Palmer said. "One was out with an injury and the other two had a senior trip they were committed to."
However, she was pleased with the way her team played in their absence.
"Some of these girls had never played with the varsity before tonight. We had two girls serving that had never served in a varsity game before. I thought they stepped up and did a pretty good job."
As for tonight's match with Magnolia, Blake wasn't sure what to expect.
"We didn't play them this season and I haven't been able to see them in person," she explained. "I know they have a pretty good record. So, it'll be a surprise for us."