photo by: Nick Henthorn

The Union Local Jets, pictured with their OHSAA Division V East District title after defeating Tuscarawas Valley on Thursday inside Buckeye Trail High School, 25-10, 29-27, 25-22.

LORE CITY — The Union Local Jets have made a habit of collecting trophies over the last few years, but that didn’t make Thursday any less sweet for the Jets.

Union Local raised their third District Championship trophy in four years Thursday, capturing the OHSAA Division V East District title inside Buckeye Trail High School, defeating Tuscarawas Valley in straight sets, 25-10, 29-27, 25-22.

“These girls have worked really hard,” Union Local head coach Kaye Sechrest said of her team’s continued success. “It’s the previous years too and it just builds, you know, it started with Casey [Kildow] who’s my assistant and it just continues, you know, the enthusiasm, the love for the game, it shows in these girls.”

Against the Trojans, Union Local started off impeccably, dominating the first set.

Union Local led 14-7 before three straight service aces from Brooklyn Burley bumped the Jets ahead by 10, and swept them towards the finish line.

The second set, however, was a different matter. The Trojans took an early lead as Union Local tried to straighten the ship against multiple violations, and the Jets would indeed right themselves to take a 9-8 advantage. They built a 16-11 advantage before Tusky Valley called a timeout, and proceeded to score nine of the next 13 points, tying the set 20-20. Tusky was never able to take the lead from there, but did force the set past 25 points. Eventually, a Tusky serve out of bounds put Union Local ahead by one, and Laken Vinskovich pounded down a kill in the next volley for set point.

Sechrest saw the second set as pivotal.

“The second or third set, if it would have went either way, if they would have won, they’d get momentum,” Sechrest said. “We just kept it up and we got that second game, and then that third game, we just said, let’s get to five. It was 20-to-whatever, let’s just get to five.”

Vinskovich finished with a team-high 15 digs, 10 kills and three blocks for the Jets. Her 10 kills were behind only Ameera Saunders, who piled up 23 kills along with 12 digs and three blocks. The pair combined for plenty of high-velocity kills which have become commonplace this year on the Jets squad, but are an uncommon sight in high school.

Sechrest heaped praise on her front line, as well as the rest of her team.

“It gets the girl, it gets the other team on their heels,” Sechrest said of her powerful outside hitter/middle hitter combo. “And so when they dink or they hit off speed, it messes with them and I know how it feels, you know, because I’ve had that done to us. It’s just nice that we have people that can do it and we have support players.

I thought Myah Martin played a great game. She played smart, she’s short, but she put the ball where she needed to put it. You know, Ram Jam [Ramsey Butler], who’s a freshman, had some great, great blocks and just great gets. She’s a freshman, she’s learning and she’s developing. Brooklyn had those aces at one time, I don’t know how many in a row. It’s a team effort.

That’s what I’ve always said. It’s just not one person, two people. You’ve got to have that supporting cast and we do and you’ve got to have them believe.”

Union Local scored the first three points of the third set, and really started building their lead after back-to-back blocks by Vinskovich to push her team ahead 12-7. The Jets would eventually lead 17-11, but much like the second set, Tusky Valley roared back to tie the set 20-20. From there though, Union Local buckled down. Saunders tallied a kill and an ace and Vinskovich also put down a kill to help the Jets past the finish line.

The Jets now wait to face the winner of the Southeast 3 District, who will be crowned on Saturday when Frankfort Adena faces Chillicothe Southeastern.