HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

Teamwork lifts Jackets to win

Perrysburg tops Anthony Wayne to remain undefeated in NLL

Perrysburg's Lauren Smith dinks the ball over the net against Anthony Wayne in Thursday night’s match.

Perrysburg stayed undefeated in Northern Lakes League volleyball play with a tight road win over Anthony Wayne on Thursday night.

The Generals took the first set 25-20, but the Yellow Jackets swept the next three 25-23, 25-22, 25-19 to improve to 6-1 overall, 4-0 in the NLL.

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Senior Savannah Miller led all hitters with 19 kills, while fellow senior Audra Appold had 18 for Perrysburg. The two outside hitters were complemented by middle hitters Mackenzie Pohlman (seven kills) and Shannon Fastnacht (eight).

“If one of is off the others step up, so that's really nice,” Miller said. “We can all put balls away. It was a good win against a big team.”

Anthony Wayne (3-3, 2-2) was paced by senior Bridget Troiani (14 kills) and freshman Jillie Grant (11).

Perrysburg coach Jamie Babcock said her team showed good patience and an ability to adjust.

“They see what they need to do and they get it done,” Babcock said.

Pohlman helped spark the rally in the second set. Appold and Miller dominated in the third and fourth sets.

“Our outsides [Appold and Miller] did a great job, but we wouldn't have won this game if our middles [Pohlman and Fastnacht] hadn't stepped up,” Babcock said.

“They did a tremendous job scoring key points. We can spread our offense around. If someone is off, someone will pick them up.”

The first set was tied at 18 when AW finished it with a 7-2 run.

Stephanie Olman, who recorded seven kills, had four kills. Grant, a 5-11 freshman, also had four kills in the first set.

Anthony Wayne coach Kelli Euler said her team then committed too many unforced errors.

“Against a good team like that, you can't have that,” Euler said. “We need to minimize them or get rid of them. It's a lack of focus. We're young and inexperienced. But we're skilled.”

The nip-and-tuck battle saw six lead changes in the second set. Perrysburg trailed 15-13, but went on a 6-2 run to go up 19-17. The match was tied at 22, but the Yellow Jackets, led by Appold and Pohlman, closed it out.

Perrysburg jumped to an 18-13 lead in the third set. AW closed within 23-22, but two unforced General errors gave the Jackets the win. The decisive fourth set featured seven lead changes.

Appold had four key points down the stretch, and Miller ended the match with a kill.

Perrysburg went 14-0 in the NLL last season to win the program's first title since 1994. Anthony Wayne is seeking the school's first league volleyball title since 2002, when it won three straight.

Perrysburg takes on another NLL contender, Bowling Green, on Tuesday. Anthony Wayne, which lost to BG earlier this week, hosts Napoleon on Tuesday.

“We're ready and focused,” Babcock said.

Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354 or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.