BROOKVILLE — The Arcanum Lady Trojans reached 20 wins and advanced in the postseason with a straight-set win over Middletown Madison Lady Mohawks in the opening round of the Southwest District Division V volleyball tournament.
Second-seeded Arcanum defeated the No. 14 seed Lady Mohawks 25-6, 25-11, 25-11 to earn a matchup with Western Ohio Athletic Conference opponent Preble Shawnee. The No. 13 seed Lady Arrows enter tournament play with a 4-18 record.
Arcanum overcame early deficits in all three sets, using aggressive serving and decisive scoring runs to complete the sweep. The Lady Trojans finished with 17 aces.
Despite the comfortable winning margins, Arcanum coach Jacie Holman said her team needs to improve its starts and maintain its own pace.
“That’s something we talked about beforehand: we need to jump out early,” Holman said. “That’s something we’ve struggled with in the past few sets.”
Madison took a 2-0 lead in the opening set before Arcanum took control. The Lady Trojans built a 14-4 advantage and pulled away for a 25-6 victory.
The Lady Mohawks scored first again in the second set and remained within striking distance, trailing 11-9. Arcanum answered with a 14-2 run to close out the set 25-11 and take a 2-0 match lead.
“We talk about that we need to control what we can control,” Holman said. “We’ve got to get mentally tough to play whoever’s on the other side. We’ve got to play our game.”
Madison opened the third set with four unanswered points, but Arcanum again rallied. The Lady Trojans moved ahead 16-8 before finishing the match with another 25-11 win.
Addie Macy sparked at the net, earning Holman’s praise for both her attack and her growing leadership.
“Addie Macy, when she’s on, she’s on. You better watch out,” Holman said. “She does a really nice job when she’s off the court reading the blocks, so she knows where to go.”
Holman said Macy’s ability to attack down the line and across the court makes her a difficult hitter to defend.
“I’m super proud of her, not just with her hits, but with her energy that she’s been bringing to the gym the past few days,” Holman said.
Lexi Fout also contributed with her serving and defensive work, including a diving save to her right that helped Arcanum win a point.
Holman said Fout’s ability to anticipate plays led her to give the setter a broader defensive role.
“I thought that she really has that defensive eye that she can just get any ball,” Holman said. “That’s why she’s on the court right now, because she’s not afraid to throw her body on the court and give us that advantage.”
The Lady Trojans’ success at the service line followed practice that emphasized serving aggressively while reducing missed serves.
“We spent a lot of time yesterday focusing on our serves because we know that that’s something that has been strong,” Holman said.
The victory marked another milestone for a team that entered the season needing to replace five graduating seniors. Holman said the group has exceeded her summer expectations.
“All summer I kind of thought, you know what, if we end up .500, I’m happy with that,” she said. “These girls have truly bought in, and I think they’re one of the best teams that I’ve had.”
Holman believes the Lady Trojans have more to accomplish.
“I don’t think we’re done at 20,” she said. “I think we’ve still got a couple more games ahead of us. We’ve got deep dreams, and I think we can get there.”
Next comes a familiar opponent in Preble Shawnee, with Arcanum looking to carry its conference success into another tournament round.
“When we play somebody from the conference, it is a little bit of a mental game,” Holman said. “But I also think we thrive in those conditions because we want to prove that we’re the better conference team.”
