SIDNEY — The No. 11 seed Mississinawa Valley Lady Blackhawks opened Ohio High School Athletic Association Division VII volleyball tournament play with a straight-set victory over No. 14 seed Twin Valley South, winning 25-12, 25-16, 25-8.
Mississinawa Valley built commanding leads in all three sets and used a 10-point serving run by Gretchen Rodeheffer in the third to put the match out of reach.
“We talked about how we had to keep the pace of the game our pace and the momentum our momentum the whole time, and not let them creep back in,” Mississinawa Valley coach Taylor Rawlings said.
The Lady Blackhawks improved to 10-13 and advanced to face No. 10 seed Springfield Emmanuel Christian Academy at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Piqua.
Mississinawa Valley established control early against its Western Ohio Athletic Conference opponent, racing to a 10-2 advantage in the opening set before finishing off a 25-12 win.
The Lady Blackhawks carried that momentum into the second set, opening a 14-2 lead on their way to a 25-16 victory and a 2-0 advantage in the match.
Although Twin Valley South narrowed the deficit in each of the first two sets, Rawlings emphasized the importance of maintaining focus through the final point.
“The first and second sets we let them come back in a little bit, but that third set, we talked about how we’ve got to keep swinging and doing our job each point and taking one point at a time until that score says 25,” she said.
Mississinawa Valley followed that approach in the third set. Leading 10-5, the Lady Blackhawks scored 10 unanswered points with Rodeheffer at the service line to stretch their advantage to 20-5. They closed out the set 25-8 to complete the sweep.
Rawlings credited her players’ preparation and teamwork for the tournament-opening victory. Having already faced Twin Valley South during the regular season, the Lady Blackhawks entered the match familiar with their opponent.
“We put a lot of preparation in for this game,” Rawlings said. “I’m really proud of my girls and the way that they came out and played as a team tonight.”
Rodeheffer helped lead the Lady Blackhawks with her hitting and serving, while Ava Hummel also provided strong serving. Rawlings credited Harper McGlothlin, Ella Godfrey and Madi Neiport for their work in the back row, keeping balls in play.
The victory gives Mississinawa Valley another opportunity to extend its season against Emmanuel Christian, which swept Tri-County North earlier in the evening.
Rawlings watched that match and expects a competitive second-round meeting.
“I’m expecting them to bring a good match for us, and we’re excited,” she said. “We’re excited to keep playing.”
For a young Mississinawa Valley team, Rawlings said the timing of its progress has been encouraging.
“I feel like we finally locked in at tournament time, which is the best time,” she said.
Wednesday’s action at Piqua begins at 5:30 p.m., when No. 15 seed Ansonia faces No. 2 seed Fort Loramie. Mississinawa Valley’s match against Emmanuel Christian follows at 7 p.m.
