The West Liberty-Salem varsity volleyball team delivered a commanding performance Thursday night, sweeping the Northeastern Jets in straight sets: 25-16, 25-17, 25-10 during a special Senior Night celebration.
Seniors Naomi Cole, Lyndee Harrison, Addison Hutton, and Ava Poppe were honored before the match, and they made the most of their final home appearance.
Cole led the Tigers with 11 kills, 4 digs, and 4 aces, while Poppe contributed 7 kills, 9 digs, and a block. Harrison dished out 18 assists, alongside 3 kills and 6 digs. Hutton added a kill and went 4-of-5 serving.
Other contributors included:
- Lilli Heminger: 11 kills, 5 digs, 3 blocks
- Reese Winters: 1 kill, 1 dig, 1 block, 4 aces
- Kiersten Stoll: 1 kill, 6 digs, 2 aces, 2 blocks
- Sophia Landon: 2 digs, 9 assists
- Reagan Winters: 9 digs, perfect 16/16 on serve receive
- Kenna Wright: 3 digs
In junior varsity action, West Liberty-Salem defeated Northeastern in two sets: 25-18, 25-14.
Standout performances included:
- Addie Hutton: 8 kills, 3 digs, 2 aces
- Olive Matthews: 5 kills, 6 digs, 6 assists, 1 block, 2 aces
- Emma Liggett: 10 digs, 2 kills, 1 ace, 6/8 serve receive
- Emma Schmelzer: 4 kills, 7 assists, 4 digs, 1 ace
- Loretta Moxley: 5 aces, 7 digs
- Sydnee Conley: 2 digs
Earlier in the week, the Tigers edged out state-ranked Fairbanks in an intense five-set match in front of a packed gym. The Tigers won 24-26, 25-17, 25-23, 22-25, 16-14, with the final set decided by a Fairbanks forfeit.
Naomi Cole was dominant at the net with 22 kills, 5 blocks, and 7 digs. Ava Poppe followed with 15 kills, 2 aces, 12 digs, and 2 blocks.
Other varsity standouts:
- Lyndee Harrison: 30 assists, 1 kill, 3 digs, 2 blocks
- Sophia Landon: 18 assists, 12 digs
- Lilli Heminger: 5 kills, 6 digs, 2 blocks
- Kiersten Stoll: 4 kills, 19 digs, 3 blocks, 3 aces
- Reese Winters: 6 kills, 2 aces, 11 blocks
- Reagan Winters: 21 digs
- Kenna Wright: 12 digs
The JV team fell in two sets: 25-20, 25-11.
Notable stats:
- Emma Liggett: 11 digs, 3 kills, 4/6 serve receive
- Evie Decker: 7 digs
- Addie Hutton: 1 kill, perfect 7/7 serving
- Olive Matthews: 5 digs, 1 kill, 4 assists
- Loretta Moxley: 5 digs
- Emma Schmelzer: 1 ace, 1 kill, 1 assist, 3 digs
- Sydnee Conley: 2 digs
With the varsity wins, the Tigers improved to 17-3 overall and 13-1 in the Ohio Heritage Conference (OHC).
The West Liberty-Salem JV boys’ soccer team battled Bellefontaine to a 0-0 tie Thursday evening. Goalkeeper Rylan Leichty recorded one save to preserve the shutout.
