PIQUA — Mississinawa Valley battled back late in the third set but could not extend its season, falling to Springfield Emmanuel Christian Academy in straight sets in the second round of the OHSAA Division VII volleyball tournament.
The No. 11 seed Lady Blackhawks challenged the No. 10 seed Lady Lions in the opening and closing sets before falling 25-16, 25-13, 25-20.
Despite the loss, Mississinawa Valley coach Taylor Rawlings praised the effort and growth of a young team that featured four freshmen.
“Nobody wants their season to end so short, but I’m really proud of their fight and their efforts,” Rawlings said. “We didn’t return a lot of lettermen this year, and so I’m really proud of the way all those underclassmen stepped up, and I’m proud of the way my seniors led this team.”
Mississinawa Valley opened the match with an 8-4 lead before Emmanuel Christian worked its way back. The teams traded blows at 11, 13, and 15 before the Lady Lions took control.
Emmanuel Christian closed the opening set with a 10-1 run to earn a 25-16 victory and a 1-0 match advantage.
The Lady Lions carried that momentum into the second set, building an early 9-3 lead. Mississinawa Valley couldn’t close the gap as Emmanuel Christian pulled away with a 25-13 win to move within one set of advancing.
Facing elimination, the Lady Blackhawks responded with one of their strongest stretches of the match.
Mississinawa Valley led 6-4 and 10-9 in the third set and stayed within a point at 13-12 before Emmanuel Christian scored five straight points to build an 18-12 lead.
The Lady Blackhawks answered with an 8-3 run, cutting the deficit to 21-20 and putting themselves in position to extend the match. The Lady Lions, however, scored the final four points to secure the sweep.
“We weren’t going to go down without a fight,” Rawlings said. “We didn’t want to give up there. They have some great hitters, so kudos to them. But I’m really just proud of my girls and the way they fought tonight.”
The match marked the final appearance for three Mississinawa Valley seniors: Ava Hummel, Ella Godfrey and Gretchen Rodeheffer.
Rawlings credited all three with helping lead the Lady Blackhawks in their tournament finale.
“Gretchen Rodeheffer, she played really great for us tonight,” Rawlings said. “Had some good serves. Had some good swings. Senior Ava Hummel, senior Ella Godfrey in the back row — all three of them stepped up big for us tonight.”
Freshman Mylie Austerman also earned praise for her contributions at the service line and on the attack.
“Freshman Mylie Austerman had some good serves for us, good swings for us,” Rawlings said. “And I think it’s just those young ones getting prepared to hopefully make some more runs in the future.”
With all but three players returning, Rawlings will have a group that gained valuable varsity and tournament experience this season.
“We were young this year,” she said. “I played four freshmen.”
