Sports
Lady Lancers March Forth On To District Final
By: BeauDanon Stark
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The Federal Hocking Lady Lancers looked to step up after squeaking by Trimble last Thursday, and they did as they controlled the match through all three sets to take the Division 4 District Semifinal.
From the get-go, the Lady Lancers had an edge, primarily at the net. The Lady Tigers struggled early which allowed the Lady Lancers to develop a rhythm that they maintained throughout the contest. On one play in particular, Lady Lancer Jaylen Rogers made an explosive play at the net, sliding to the right of her setter and hitting a shot straight down the line for a kill.
The Lady Tigers managed to stay competitive throughout most of the first set, getting quality passes from their back row and a few quality blocks at the net as well.
In spite of the Lady Lancer’s strong outing, they too struggled in certain areas. Serve-receive was shaky early on, as was the team’s passing efficiency. The team also struggled with digging up hits from the Lady Tigers, with Ali Hamilton scoring some big hits as well as Brianna Humble who added a few good kills of her own. The Lady Lancers won the first set 25-16 with Glenwood losing on a foot fault.
In the second set, the Lady Lancers continued to have control. The Lady Tigers struggled with their passing and were victim to serving by Lindsey Parsons who had 4 aces in a row in the second frame.
With the Lady Tigers struggles, the Lady Lancers could step up and find success with several different hitters. Despite two “double” calls the Lady Lancers’ Audrey Blake was able to utilize six different hitters successfully while gaining at least two kills in the second set.
With the season on the line and game not looking their way, Glenwood stepped up considerably in the first half of the third set, with Hamilton showing off her hitting ability once again as well as Kaylee Stone. But despite a 16-10 lead held by the Lady Tigers, the Lady Lancers did not falter and dominated the remainder of the set to win 25-18, ultimately winning the match. Coach John Young told his girls to “play smart and play loose.”
The Lady Lancers face off against Notre Dame in the district finals this Saturday at 2:00 pm Jackson High School.