GERMANTOWN — Eaton volleyball coach Parker Fields called his team’s 5-set win over Valley View its “best all around effort of the season.”
The Eagles, which had lost two straight matches, downed the host Spartans 17-25, 25-23, 25-16, 18-25, 15-6 in a Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division contest on Thursday, Oct. 5, to avenge an earlier loss.
Valley View won the first meeting 25-18, 25-23, 19-25, 25-16.
“Great team win. This was our best all around effort of the season,” Fields said after the match. “Defensively we were able to get over and put up enough of a block to slow the ball down for our defenders, which enabled us to run in system all night. We served and attacked aggressively, and communicated better than we have all season.”
The two teams were even early in the first set, tied at 10-10, when Valley View went on a 6-0 run to seize control of the set. Eaton closed to within 17-14, but the Spartans closed out the set on an 8-3 run.
In the second set, Eaton held an early three point lead at 7-4 behind the play of senior Ariel Richardson. Valley View battled back and took an 11-8 lead. Neither team led by more than three points the remainder of the set. Valley View led 18-16, before Eaton went on a four point run fora 20-18 lead. The Spartans regained the lead 21-20 on an ace and led 23-22, before the Eagles closed out the set with a 3-0 run.
In the third set, Eaton grabbed control near the midpoint. Trailing 10-8, the Eagles outscored Valley View 12-3 to take a 20-13 lead and never looked back.
In the fourth set, Eaton fell behind early 5-2, but battled back for a 9-7 lead. A couple of hitting errors by the Eagles and a pair of serving aces by the Spartans gave Valley View a 13-9 lead en route to a 25-18 win.
The fifth set was all Eaton.
The Eagles opened with a 10-0 run on three kills from Richardson, a pair of aces from Becca Mowen and a kill from Ava Miller, and the set was never in doubt. Annika Gels served the Eagles to a 14-1 lead, before the Spartans cut their deficit to 14-6. A Shay Perry kill ended the match.
Richardson finished the match with 15 kills and seven digs. Miller added 10 kills and three blocks. Mowen had nine kills, four aces and 16 digs. Perry had six kills and three blocks. Courtney Giffen chipped in five kills and 12 digs and Maley Tinstman had 21 assists and three aces. Carsyn Lammers added 10 assists and eight digs and Gels had 21 digs.
“We talked all week about playing with a purpose, and playing inspired volleyball. The kids took the challenge and played the way we expected to play all season,” Fields said. “Hopefully, we can keep the momentum and focus up going into the last week of the season.”
Eaton (8-11, 4-6 SWBL) was schedueld to host Greenville on Monday, Oct. 9 and Franklin on Tuesday. The Eagles will wrap up the regular season on Thursday when they host Bellbrook.
