Jefferson High’s 2019 volleyball season ended where it did last year, with an exit at the Southern B divisional tournament. But this was a different story: While last year’s undefeated, top-seeded Panthers were disappointed not to make the State tourney, this year’s young team bowed out with a strong sense of possibility for the future.
In its first-round match in Columbus on Thursday, Jefferson met Joliet, a strong team from District 4B. Joliet came out with a dominating first set win, 25-9 – and the Panthers’ troubles continued into the early part of the second. But then, down 6-2, they got a block and a kill from Dakota Edmisten, another kill by Kylie Marks, and a third from Rachel Van Blaricom. Suddenly, they were back in the match, and a Marks ace narrowed the gap to 8-7.
Joliet took off on a 7-2 run to regain a five-point edge before a block by Marks and a kill by Van Blaricom pulled the Panthers to 18-15. But that was as close as it would get: Joliet kept up the pressure to win the second, 25-20. And while the Panthers started the third with a 6-1 run, and a Hope Dobyns kill brought them to within 15-11, four errors in a row gave the Hawks a lead they wouldn’t lose. Final: 25-21, for a 3-0 match.
