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Miami East cashes in for D-III state title

Vikings topple Gates Mills Gilmour Academy in four sets.

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By Debbie Juniewicz, Contributing Writer 12:36 AM Sunday, November 13, 2011

FAIRBORN — Miami East High School won only a single volleyball match the year John Cash was being recruited by the school to be its next coach.

Three years after Cash took the helm of the struggling program, the Vikings are the Division III state champions. Miami East beat Gates Mills Gilmour Academy 26-24, 17-25, 25-23, 25-21 in the final on Saturday at the Nutter Center to continue Cash’s plan.

“I said we’d be at state in three years,” Cash said. “My athletic director, my superintendent, most people, thought I was crazy.”

Even his players had some doubts three years ago, including his daughter, setter and right side hitter Abby Cash.

“At practice this week, he said, ‘I told you so,’ ” Abby said, smiling. “He always seems to be right.”

Miami East and Gilmour came in with drastically different tournament experience. The Vikings stepped onto the Nutter Center floor for the first time in the semifinals on Thursday. The Lancers were making their fourth state trip in the past five years and had been runner-up twice, including last year to Fenwick.

“Experience and all the other talk didn’t matter,” Cash said.

The Vikings fought through seven lead changes and 13 ties to take the first set, but the Lancers had control of the second set from start to finish.

“We were being less aggressive and were afraid to make errors,” Abby Cash said.

The Vikings came out more aggressive in the third set but were riddled with service errors in the early going, four in their first six serves.

“We serve to score, we don’t just serve to serve,” Cash said. “So that happens.”

Aggressive serving paid off for Abby Cash, who posted five aces in the match, bringing her season total to 105.

It was little sister Samantha Cash who came up big late in the third set as the sophomore slammed in four of Miami East’s final six points, including the winner.

“These girls don’t lack for confidence,” Cash said. “They’re tough cookies. They got punched in the mouth and they came up swinging.”

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