State-Ranked Martins Ferry Sweeps Past Union Local

Purple Riders Are Ranked No. 2 In Division V Ohio Volleyball Coaches Association Poll

MARTINS FERRY - When members of the Martins Ferry volleyball team woke up Monday morning, they found out that they were ranked No. 2 in the first Ohio Volleyball Coaches Association poll of 2026.

Later that night, the Purple Riders (11-0) played like it in a clean sweep of youthful Union Local, 25-6, 25-11 and 25-17 in a match that took just 49 minutes to complete inside the Tolbert Gymnasium.

"We didn't play too badly," Martins Ferry head coach Jaela Koller said. "We didn't have practice yesterday. I wasn't feeling well, so it's the first time I've ever had to cancel a practice the day before a match but the girls came out and played lights-out. Everybody got to play and that was nice, as well."

Martins Ferry (11-0) trails only Coldwater in the statewide poll. The Purple Riders amassed 301 points and received 14 first-place votes. The Cavaliers (8-1) had 344 points and 15 first-place votes. The ranking is the highest for the Martins Ferry program and is the best for an OVAC Ohio-side squad since Union Local was eighth in the final Division II poll in 2022.

"Honestly, I don't look at it. I don't look at the numbers," Koller added. "I don't want to say I don't care, because I do. But all I care about is what we do when we step on the court. Is it fabulous for these girls? One thousand percent, but when I wake up in the morning, I don't look at the rankings at all."

Martins Ferry didn't waste any time in flexing its muscles as it scored the first four points of the first set and were never threatened. They led 4-0 and Union Local never scored back-to-back points in a 25-6 dismantling.

In the second set, with the score deadlocked at 2, the hosts rattled off 12 of the next 16 points for a 14-6 advantage. After the Jets scored their first two points in a row, the Purple ended the set on an 11-3 run as Olivia Harkness was dynamite at the service line. The junior seven straight points, with four of them coming on aces.

Martins Ferry totaled 20-plus service aces, with Harkness leading the way with eight. She also registered 27 assists, while Giana Chirpas had 11 kills and a pair of aces. SJ Koller logged 18 digs and Maddie Lucas finished with nine kills.

Union Local finally strung together three points, but Martins Ferry ended the set on a five-point streak.

"Hark was on," Coach Koller stressed. "Gracie Lucas had some good serves and Malena Catalano also had a few. We had a better consistency serving tonight than we have had on other nights."

The third set was knotted five times, the last at 10 before the Purple Riders took command.

Junior Nicole Hammerquist sandwiched a tip, a kill and a block around an ace from Malena Catalano that jump-started a match-ending 15-7 surge.

"They have a really, really nice team," Union Local head coach Kaye Sechrest said. "And we are very young. We lost five seniors from last season that were four-year starters, and then we haven't had Ameera play yet this season. It's been tough but the girls are working hard and I'm proud of them for that."

Sechrest was referring to 6-0 senior Ameera Saunders who was a force as a junior. However, she seriously injured her right knee last winter playing basketball and won't be cleared by her doctor until November.

“You’ve got to play with what you have," Sechrest said. "The girls are trying really hard."

As well as the Purple Riders have played, Coach Koller still has a bit of nervousness in her.

"When you coach a bunch of teenage girls, you're always worried," she admitted. "Who is showing up? You never know. I always like to mentally prepare them the day before a match, but without having practice on Sunday, you never know, but with this group, they lock it in and are focused on one mission."