“Even though we haven’t spoken about it all year, this has been our goal all season,” Flyers coach Amy Steininger said.
The defending state champions started slow while the Chieftains rattled off the first three points and built an 8-5 early lead. Then the Flyers went on a 7-1 run to take a 12-9 lead. They never trailed again in the set.
“Once we got rolling, we were pretty consistent,” Steininger said. “We wanted to keep pushing the pace, especially when we had the momentum, and we were able to do that.”
It was more of the same in the second set as Marion Local’s balanced offense put up the points while its relentless defense stifled Hopewell-Loudon.
“There were a lot of mental errors that we tried to work on all week,” Chieftains coach Erin Dircksen said. “We just couldn’t pass, and we couldn’t get it past the 10-foot line to set up our offense.
“And they (Marion Local) are very poised. They don’t make mistakes. They know where their strengths are, and they capitalize on them.”
Junior outside hitter Alyssa Winner did her part. The two-time All-Ohio first team player posted a match-high 13 kills and added 11 digs. The double-double helped her reach the 1,000-mark in kills and digs in her career.
It will be an all-Flyers final. The St. Paul Flyers (25-3) handed the first-time state qualifier Tuscarawas Central Catholic Saints a quick 25-14, 25-12, 25-15 loss in the other D-V semifinal. Marion Local beat St. Paul in a tournament earlier this season.
D-I: It will be a battle of the unbeaten in the Division I state final as Dublin Coffman (29-0) and Ursuline (28-0) both sped to quick straight-set semifinal wins Thursday.
Senior Alex Blair led all players with 11 kills as Dublin Coffman took just 58 minutes to post a 25-12, 25-15, 25-5 win over Stow-Munroe Falls in the Shamrocks’ first state appearance.
Senior Jade Henderson led the offensive attack with 18 kills for Ursuline as the Lions dispensed of Magnificat 25-14, 25-21, 25-13 in the other D-I semifinal.
The Shamrocks are state rookies, the Lions are in the hunt for their fourth state title. Ursuline was the state runner-up last year.
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