Troy entered the week 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the MVL. Tipp was 7-0 and 5-0.
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Troy has been Tipp’s nemesis since the Red Devils joined the GWOC in 2016. Tipp went 39-6 in league play in three GWOC seasons. Five of those losses were to Troy.
Tipp, though, snapped Troy’s 63-match GWOC winning streak last season with a 25-18, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21 victory on Oct. 9. Troy’s winning streak started on Sept. 11, 2012.
“We know their personnel. We know what they bring to the table,” Troy coach Michelle Owen said. “Tipp is the same with us. They know our kids. … We have really, really good potential to have a good run. Obviously, our goal right now is to focus on winning the conference.”
Troy and Tipp shared their division title in the GWOC last season. It was the eighth straight for the Trojans.
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Senior Lauren Schmitz leads Troy with 66 kills. Seniors Brianna Slusher and Carly Pfieffer co-lead with 19 blocks. Senior Emmie Jackson has 71 digs and Senior Morgan Baber 116 assists.
“We have three hitters you have to worry about,” Owen said. “That’s why Lauren is so effective right now. Lauren can take some pressure off of herself by us getting the ball to Brianna and Carly in the middle. We have Anna (Boezi) on the right side and Hallie (Westmeyer). At any point in time we have girls who can put the ball down.
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“We need to all do a little for us to win. That’s kind of our mentality right now. If everybody makes a team contribution we can be pretty effective.”
Tipp counters with juniors Corinn Siefring’s 54 kills, junior Rachel Wildermuth’s 51 kills, 18 blocks and 108 assists and senior Abby Hughes’ 94 digs.
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Tipp has not lost a set through its first seven matches. Troy has dropped one set, falling 25-17 to Miami East, before rallying for the four-set victory.
“(You) want to battle the best teams in the area, it’s a blast,” Owen said. “Those are the matches we live for. To go play Versailles, Fort Loramie, Tipp and Centerville … you want that type of competition.”
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• Fairmont senior Nevan Snodgrass has verbally committed to wrestle at Northern Iowa. Snodgrass is a three-time Division I state placer and six-time USA Wrestling All-American at multiple levels, according to Firebirds coach Frank Baxter.
Snodgrass will take a 109-16 career record into his senior season. He was third at state at 170 pounds last season.
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• Dayton Christian juniors Kayla Ogburn (11 goals, six assists) and Lauren Collins (nine goals, seven assists) were tied for sixth and 11th, respectively, among girls state soccer scoring leaders, according to the Ohio Scholastic soccer Coaches Association.
The Warriors (5-0) had outscored their opponents 35-2.
• Troy Christian’s Connor Peters was tied for fourth among boys soccer state scoring leaders with 10 goals and five assists. The Eagles (5-0) had outscored their opponents 27-7.
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• Jordan Gilkison of Springboro (34.90) and Beavercreek’s Sarah O’Connor (38.40) are the GWOC boys and girls golf scoring leaders.
Nathan Gagnon of Tipp (37.50) and Greenville’s Kenna Jenkinson (40.40) are the current MVL golf medalists.
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• Tippecanoe places four runners among the top 10 to edge Northmont 44-54 and win the boys large school title in the Treaty City cross country invitational at Greenville last Saturday. Drew Blazer of Northwestern (16:07.0) was the boys winner.
Claire Rethman of Fort Loramie (19:29.6) was the overall girls large division winner and paced the Redskins to a 25-50 team title over runner-up Tipp.
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