PIQUA – The Covington Lady Buccs avenged an early-season loss to Jackson Center by defeating the Tigers in four sets, advancing to the District Final on Saturday against Russia.
The last time the Lady Buccs reached the District Final was in 2022, when they finished with a 17-9 overall record.
“No one on this team has made it past the second round of the tournament, having lost at this stage or earlier each year,” explained Covington coach Sloane Green. “We also lost to Jackson Center earlier this season, so it was super exciting and meaningful for our girls.”
Earlier in the season, on August 31, the Lady Buccs suffered a disappointing loss to Jackson Center. However, at that point in the season, the team was still working to develop consistency and improve its overall performance. This postseason contest against Jackson Center showcased just how much the Lady Buccs have improved throughout the second half of the season.
After posting a 4-6 record through their first 10 games, the Lady Buccs have compiled an impressive 10-4 record over their past 14 contests to improve their overall record to 14-10.
The Lady Buccs started off the contest against Jackson Center by building an eight-point lead in the first set. Jackson Center managed to close the gap later in the set, but after Covington called a timeout, Ava Hartwig made several outstanding offensive plays to secure a critical 25-19 victory.
Jackson Center responded in the second set by reclaiming the momentum and handing the Lady Buccs a disappointing 18-25 loss to tie the match at 1-1.
Fortunately, the Lady Buccs responded quickly in the third set by regaining control with excellent execution and intensity. This led to a dominating 25-13 victory that gave Covington a critical 2-1 advantage in the match.
The Lady Buccs carried that momentum throughout the fourth set as the entire team continued to execute at a high level. This resulted in an exciting 25-18 win that closed out the contest and secured a 3-1 victory over Jackson Center.
Throughout the contest, senior Ramsé Vanderhorst had a tremendous impact as she made numerous outstanding defensive plays to prevent Jackson Center from scoring critical points.
Ava Hartwig and Kylie Palsgrove delivered several crucial kills throughout the match, while Aubrey Hoying and Alison Sink executed outstanding sets to put their teammates in position for powerful offensive attacks.
Plus, Nadia Ramirez, Madelyn Batdorf, Chloe Aselage and standout freshman Mikayla Jacomet each made valuable contributions to help the Lady Buccs secure an impressive victory over Jackson Center.
The critical stats by the Lady Buccs were 3 aces by Ramsé Vanderhorst, 13 kills by Ava Hartwig, 8 kills each each by Kylie Palsgrove and Mikayla Jacomet, 6 kills by Madelyn Batdorf, and 3 kills by Chloe Aselage.
“There was great defense at the net blocking by Madelyn Batdorf, Chloe Aselage, Ava Hartwig, and Kylie Palsrgive,” mentioned Coach Green. “We talked about staying patient in the long rallies against Jackson Center. I asked them to go for it and take some risks, and it paid off for us tonight. We still limited our errors in doing so and played really gritty volleyball. I am really proud of what this team has accomplished so far and we’re excited for the next step.”
The District Final match against Russia is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at Skyhawk Arena in Fairborn. The match is set to begin at 11:00 a.m.
Skyhawk Arena is located at 1523 Commerce Center Blvd., Fairborn, OH 45324.
