DaytonDailyNews.com

Marion Local girls volleyball coach Amy Steininger and Jackson Center coach Kim Metz know each other well. Both will get to further explore that relationship at today's Division IV state championship match.

In the semifinals Friday, Nov. 7, at the Nutter Center, defending champion Marion Local defeated Newark Catholic in five games and Jackson Center breezed past Buckeye Central in three games.

Marion Local defeated Jackson Center in the semifinals last year.

The two coaches, whose teams are members of the bordering Shelby County League and Midwest Athletic Conference, play each other in the regular season and have often battled in the playoffs. They've also been involved with the same club volleyball teams.

But that doesn't mean there isn't a rivalry.

"I want to beat the living tar out of her, because she got it last year," Metz said. "But it's great. We've coached with each other during the spring. It's camaraderie."

Marion Local rallied around Alyssa Winner, a 5 foot, 9 inch sophomore who had 28 kills, to hold off Newark Catholic (26-2).

Jackson Center had an easier time with Buckeye Central. The Tigers only trailed once, briefly in the beginning of the first match, then took control and dominated for a three-game win behind first-team All-Ohioans Allissa Ware and Casey Gates, who combined for 24 kills and 23 digs.

The wins set the stage for the big rematch. The two teams met in the regular season, with Jackson Center winning in five games.

"There is an awful lot of hype going on with this game," Metz said. "There is an awful lot of talk. We're excited and I think it's going to be a great match."

Run ends for Versailles

Versailles didn't look like a tournament threat when the playoffs started. The Tigers lost three of their last four games to end the regular season. Versailles also was only 3-6 in the hyper-competitive MAC.

That changed in the D-III tourney. Versailles rolled through its sectional and district without losing a game.

After beating Columbus Bishop Ready and Fenwick in the regional, Versailles saw that run end Friday against a fundamentally strong Albany Alexander team in three games.

"The main thing is, they played error-free ball," Versailles coach Jeremy Riley said. "Attack-wise, they had very few errors. If the other team doesn't make mistakes, it's tough to beat them."

Despite the loss, Riley took solace in Versailles' tournament run.

"We came so far," Riley said. "A lot of people had written us off as a rebuilding year. But the girls never gave up. They deserve the season they had."