Miami Trace completed the Frontier Athletic Conference schedule for 2023 with a record of 10-0. It is the program’s second consecutive undefeated conference championship. The team at Washington High School after a three-set win Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. (front, l-r); Gracie Shull, Katelyn Gardner; (middle, l-r); Lauren Farrens, Mallory Johnson, Sydney Carter, Ava Shull, Carley Payton; (back, l-r); Ellie Robinette, Allison Carter, Kylie Yeazel, Addyson Butts, Lauren Guess, Ryleigh Vincent, Cecilia Robinson and Hannah Binegar.
Chris Hoppes | Record-Herald photos
The Miami Trace High School junior-varsity volleyball team completed the FAC schedule with a record of 10-0 after a win over Washington Thursday, Oct. 6, 2023. The win put the team’s record at 14-2 with two matches remaining in the season. (front, l-r); Alyssa Esker, Ava Shull, Ellie Hoppes, Abigail Kovalchik; (back, l-r); Coach Jenna Persinger, Kailynn Stonerock, Elizabeth Webb, Brooklyn Radcliff, Jenna Bainter, Ryleigh Vincent, Katy Bock and Coach Heather Hoppes.
Courtesy photo
Miami Trace versus Washington volleyball action on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 at Washington High School. For Miami Trace (at left), clockwise from the top; Cecilia Robinson, Lauren Farrens, Kylie Yeazel (setting) and Addyson Butts. For Washington (at right, clockwise from the top at the net), Lilly Shaw, Natalie Truex, Kierstyn Mitchell and Addison Knisley.
More action from the Miami Trace at Washington volleyball match held Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. At right, for Washington, Calleigh Wead-Salmi makes the hit. Also pictured for Washington (top to bottom), Aysha Haney, Maggi Wall and Jarika Mick. For Miami Trace, Lauren Guess and Lauren Farrens at the net and in back, Cecilia Robinson (left) and Kylie Yeazel.
In this view of the action from Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, for Washington, Jarika Mick sets the ball. Also pictured for Washington are Maggi Wall (22), Lilly Shaw (28), Addison Knisley (1) and Calleigh Wead-Salmi (19). And for Miami Trace, in the back is Cecilia Robinson, and, at the net, at top, Lauren Farrens, Kylie Yeazel and Lauren Guess.
At left, in this view of the match, for Miami Trace, Addyson Butts makes the hit at the net. Also pictured for Miami Trace, bottom to top, Alison Carter, Cecilia Robinson and Lauren Farrens and for Washington, Natalie Truex at the net and Scotti Quigley (55).
Washington, at right, readies on defense as Miami Trace awaits a chance for the kill. For the Panthers, at net is Lauren Guess and also pictured are (bottom to top), Ellie Robinette, Cecilia Robinson and Hannah Binegar. For Washington at the net, left to right, Calleigh Wead-Salmi, Kierstyn Mitchell and Lilly Shaw and, at lower right, Maggi Wall.
A large crowd turned out Thursday, Oct. 5 at Washington High School for the Bump, Set, Spike Out Cancer night.
Washington was hosting Fayette County rivals Miami Trace and the community rallied together to support local cancer survivors and the families of others who have passed away from the disease.
In the match, Miami Trace won in three sets, 25-7, 25-23 and 25-18.
The win completes a second consecutive undefeated Frontier Athletic Conference championship for Miami Trace.
The first set was pretty much all in favor of the Panthers.
In the second set, Washington was in the lead a good portion of the time.
Washington jumped out to a 4-0 lead.
Miami Trace took an 8-7 lead and Washington soon was right back in the lead.
Miami Trace held a lead momentarily at 12-11.
Washington went on a run and scored six points in a row to take a 17-12 lead.
Miami Trace fought back and tied the set, 18-18.
After a time out by the Blue Lions, Miami Trace scored the next five points to go in front, 23-18.
Washington fought back yet again, managing to pull to within one point three times (21-20, 23-22 and 24-23) before the Panthers pulled out that set, 25-23.
Miami Trace led throughout the third set, with the exception of when the score was tied, 2-2 and 3-3.
Washington stayed close with Miami Trace, but mid-way through the set, the Panthers were able to put just a little distance between themselves and the Blue Lions.
The set stayed in the four to six-point range as Miami Trace closed things out, 25-18.
“The whole night, with the atmosphere we had here tonight, the cancer theme, the community here, such a large crowd, I think it affected them more as far as that first set,” Miami Trace head coach Doug Mace said. “They got off to kind of a slow start. We got off to a quick start, which was fortunate for us.
“Then they settled down and started playing well,” Mace said of Washington. “I was happy to see that, too. If we had won all three games easily, it wouldn’t have been fun for us or fun for them. That’s all a part of it, too.
“They stepped up and starting playing us tough,” Mace said. “They had the lead several times in that second game. They could’ve very well won that second game.
“Our serving helped us,” Mace said. “There were a couple of key points where we went back and served several times and got on to a good rhythm and got some points that way, in both the second and the third game. It was going back and fourth several times. I think we were fortunate to have a couple of kids go back there, in that second and third game, get into a good rhythm and help us score some points. I think that was probably the difference.”
“I felt like we played pretty well, pretty consistent,” Washington head coach Ashley DeAtley said. “Much better than the first match-up we had (with Miami Trace).
“Miami Trace was doing a good job of hitting on our right side,” DeAtley said. “We were struggling to pick up some of those tips. We kept serving tough at them and that’s what kept us really in the game.
“Defensively, we were trying to put a lot of pressure on some of their bigger hitters, to make them move around us,” DeAtley said. “They found a way through our blocks a couple of times.
“I felt like our girls were more focused this time,” DeAtley said. “They did a good job of trying to compete against (Miami Trace’s) bigger hitters.”
The championship was the fourth for Miami Trace with Mace (now in his ninth season) as the head coach.
“The very first one, we were co-champions with Chillicothe in 2019,” Mace said.
Miami Trace went undefeated to win the conference in 2020.
The Panthers placed second in the conference in 2021 and are now back-to-back FAC champions (both times at 10-0).
“We’ve been very fortunate,” Mace said. “We’re very appreciative. It starts with the kids. We finally got to the point when we tied for that first one. They finally got to celebrate a championship. That has meant a lot to our program.
“Those seniors gave back a tremendous amount,” Mace said. “I don’t think they understand how much they helped the entire program. We’ve been fortunate enough to have seniors each year who keep wanting to give back, working with the younger kids and trying to pass along information. They kept the girls focused on, ‘hey, we can do this. We just have to work hard at it.’
“It’s been carrying over for the last few years,” Mace said. “And that’s really nice.”
Statistically for Washington, Maggi Wall led with four ace serves.
Scotti Quigley had two ace serves and Calleigh Wead-Salmi had one ace.
Wead-Salmi led Washington with six kills, while Quigley and Natalie Truex each had three.
Wall led with 16 digs. Lilly Shaw had 10 and Jarika Mick had five.
Kylie Yeazel led Miami Trace with nine ace serves. Lauren Farrens, Alison Carter, Hannah Binegar and Addyson Butts each had one.
Butts led in kills with 15. Cecilia Robinson had six, Yeazel and Farrens each had three, Lauren Guess had two and Sydney Carter, Ellie Robinette, Binegar and Alison Carter each had one.
On Tuesday, Oct. 3, Washington hosted the McClain Tigers. McClain won the match in four sets, 25-20, 14-25, 25-11 and 25-17.
In that match, Kierstyn Mitchell led Washington with eight kills.
Jarika Mick had five and Maggi Wall had four kills.
Serving for Washington against McClain, Mitchell, Wall, Lilly Shaw and Natalie Truex each had three ace serves.
Wall led Washington against McClain with 21 digs. Mitchell had 17 while Mick and Addison Knisley each had 14.
Lily Barnes led McClain with 17 digs.
Also on Tuesday, Oct. 3, Miami Trace visited Jackson High School and won a three-set match, 25-21, 25-20, 25-18.
Addyson Butts led the match with 16 kills.
Lauren Farrens had six kills, Kylie Yeazel had five and Lauren Guess had four.
Miami Trace was 16-3 going into the match against Westfall Monday, Oct. 9.
The Panthers play at South Charleston Southeastern Wednesday night.
Washington stood at 4-15 overall going into the match against Fairfield Union Monday, Oct. 9.
Washington plays at Gallia Academy in the Sectional tournament Saturday at 2 p.m.
Miami Trace begins tournament play at Logan Elm High School Monday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.
