Jay falls in semifinal

MONROEVILLE — Jay County came out firing in the opening set Thursday against Leo, playing with purpose with hopes of reaching the conference tournament final.
But after the Patriots won the first game 25-15, Leo adjusted its offense, letting its size and strength take over.
The Patriots had a difficult time keeping up, dropping the final two games in a 15-25, 25-22, 25-22 loss to Leo in the Allen County Athletic Conference semifinal at Heritage.
Leo went on to win the conference title later in the evening, beating defending champion Adams Central 22-25, 25-15, 25-23.
“We had them,” said JCHS coach Fred Medler, whose team lost to the Lions 25-22, 25-14, 25-13 on Sept. 18. “Game one, we pretty much did what we wanted to do and (had) people where we wanted them to be.
“Everything was working perfect.”
Kylie Osborne and Abby Wendel got the Patriots (23-6) off to an early 6-1 lead to force Leo coach Ashlee Robins to call a time out.
Barcus and Osborne tied for the team-high with 11 kills, and Abby Wendel joined them in double digits with 10.
The Lions (22-5) took four of the next five points, then the Patriots went on an 11-2 run to take a commanding 20-8 lead. Facing set point, 24-10, Leo closed with a five-point run, but Osborne halted the rally with a game-winning attack from the middle of the court.
Osborne, a junior, also had nine digs and three aces.
“We knew they were a good team coming in,” Robins said of Jay County, which eclipsed the 20-win mark for the first time in more than a decade. “We just started slow and they started on fire.
“I wasn’t surprised by it. They are a very good team.”
Jay County again got into a groove to start game two, but then Leo put its height to good use. Sophomore Katie Crowe and senior Emily Wenglikowski combined for 10 kills in the second game, with Crowe picking apart the Patriot defense from the outside.
Leo was two points away from victory, 23-18, but a kill by Ava Kunkler, back-to-back blocks by Kunkler and Osborne, and Barcus’ only ace of the night got Jay County within two before Leo took the game to even the match at one game apiece.
The Patriots continued to fight in the third game, trading points with the Lions and tying the game five times through the first 18 points. Then, Leo’s blocks up front and hustling on defense helped the Lions get a little bit of separation with a 14-9 advantage.
JCHS pulled to within one point, 17-16, but wasn’t able to retake the lead.
“Jay County’s offense hitting at us, our defense picked it up,” Robins said. “I realize our hitters did a really great job in that game, but our defense did too. They really left it all on the court.”
Leo’s stingy defenders, led by libero Jen Timbrook, flew all over the court to spoil the Patriot attack, which was forced to tip the ball over the Lions’ front line in the final two games after Robins made the adjustment. By doing so, Jay County was hitting to Leo’s diggers, who then fed the ball to their tall hitters, catching the JCHS defense out of position.
Despite seeing its share of the round robin championship slip away with the loss to Heritage and not being able to over come Leo in the tournament semifinal, Medler is happy with how the Patriots played in their first season in the ACAC.
“We knew coming into the conference … that volleyball-wise, it was going to be an even match for us,” said Medler, who added Leo and Woodlan were the only two teams in the ACAC he wasn’t too familiar with. “The conference was no surprise to us.”
Jay County will have time to rest and prepare for its season finale Thursday on the road at Class 3A No. 6 Bellmont, a team that has given the Patriots fits in the past.
“It’s been tough for us to get them the last 10 years,” said Medler, whose team will find out its sectional fate Monday. “We’ve gotten them before. We’re not going to lay down, but they’re going to be really tough.”