Jets Extend Long Unbeaten Streak
Union Local has won 14 games, 39 sets in a row
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MARTINS FERRY -- Union Local displayed Monday night why it is ranked sixth in the latest Division III Ohio high school coaches volleyball poll.
After going back-and-forth with Martins Ferry in the early portion of the first set, the high-flying Jets (14-0) kicked it into high gear and never looked back in posting a 58-minute sweep by scores of 25-20, 25-11 and 25-9 high atop the Purple City inside Tolbert Gymnasium.
While also keeping its season record unblemished, Union Local also extended its consecutive sets won mark to an eye-popping 39.
"It takes more than one player to make a team, and I've always said that," Union Local head coach Kaye Sechrest said. "That's what we try to instill in the girls. Everyone has a role and, so far, everyone has played their role really well.
"They are a good group of girls," she continued. "We have the three veterans in Torre (Kildow), Kelly (Gress) and Emily (Kellaway) and all their experience, but we also have the youth. However, they have gained experience along the way, as well. They've been in pressure situations."
Deadlocked at 10 in the first set, the Jets hit the turbo button and reeled off 12 of the next 15 points for a commanding, 22-13, bulge. However, Martins Ferry (7-5) regrouped and pulled to within 22-15 before a vicious kill from all-Ohioan Torre Kildow. The hosts would get as close as 24-20 before another kill from Kildow closed out the first set.
That was also as close as the Purple Riders would get the remainder of the match as the Jets soared to leads of 7-1, 16-6 and 24-10 in the second set victory. The third set wasn't that close as UL tallied the first 11 markers and was never threatened.
Sechrest also noted the success of the other female sports keeps carrying over.
"Winning breeds success and we've had a lot of success in other sports," she explained. "These girls work hard, whether it's in the gym, lifting weights ... whatever we ask them to do."
Kildow, an Ohio University signee, once again dominated the stat sheet with 22 kills, seven digs, a trio of assists and one ace and one block. Gress added 33 assists, five digs, three aces and a pair of kills. Freshman Laken Vinskovich finished with eight digs, half-a-dozen kills, two aces and a block, while Julie Broussard charted nine digs and a pair of assists. Alli Briggs had five kills and two digs. Ella Pietranton finished with three kills, two blocks and a like number of digs. Olivia Wortman had four kills.
"Volleyball is a mental game. We had two goals for today. One was not to get mentally down after tonight because what we care about is the rest of our season. We've got some big games coming up," Martins Ferry head coach Jaela Koller said. "Our other goal was to score at least 14 points in each set, and we did that for the first set.
"I know we got a little down after the first set and then we got behind in the second set, but they tried to come back," Koller added. "I'm proud of them."
The Purple Riders were led by Sydney Koller with four kills, seven digs and a block. Lindsey Best had eight digs, four kills and a block. Hannah Meek contributed four digs, two blocks and 14 assists. McKenzie Carte charted six kills and Riley Doyle finished with four digs and a pair of aces.
Union Local will make the short trek to Barnesville today. Meanwhile, Martins Ferry remains at home when Wheeling Central visits for a tripleheader, starting at 4:30 with a freshman matchup, then junior varsity and varsity.