Lakewood Volleyball Overcomes Twin-Set Deficit to Capture District Title
Rangers dropped the middle two sets but closed the series 17-15 in the fifth after Kara Laidley served five consecutive points.
By Rafael Bailey ·
Lakewood High School volleyball players needed 17 points in the final set to secure the district championship after falling behind by two sets in the match against Twinsburg.
The Rangers won the first two sets 25-15 and 25-19 before losing the third and fourth 21-25 and 22-25. In the deciding fifth set, Lakewood trailed 11-9. Kara Laidley served five straight points to give Lakewood a 14-11 lead. Twinsburg tied the score at 14 and then 15 before Lakewood closed out the game 17-15.
Ari Hueter killed a set by Mia Dugan to provide the final offensive push. The victory required a strong blocking effort from Clio Burgoyne and effective hitting from Ari Hueter, Laine Sheehan, and Alyssa Volcansek. Mia Plicka and Aliyah Plicka handled serving duties, while Addi Hoy played the back row.
Indigo Moncrief recorded key blocks and hits, including back-row plays. Tess Thrasher, a conference libero, made multiple defensive saves to keep rallies alive. Reserves Kara Laidley and Gabi Alstadt contributed serves and strong hits in the fourth and fifth sets.
Head Coach Terry Spilker led the team to the title. The win marks a district championship for the Lakewood Rangers, who will advance to the Sweet 16 round of the postseason tournament.
