Fort spikers earn top seed

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Indians will have the target on their backs.

Fort Recovery High School’s volleyball team received the No. 1 seed and a bye to the sectional final when the Division IV Northwest District tournament begins Oct. 20.

Additionally, as long as the Indians are alive through the district final, they will play at home at Fort Site Fieldhouse.

Fort Recovery (16-3), which finished sixth in the most recent Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association poll, meets the winner of sixth-seeded Lima Central Catholic Thunderbirds and No. 7 seed Kalida Wildcats. The Tribe will host the sectional final slated for 5 p.m. Oct. 22. At 7:30 p.m. the same night, No. 9 seed Delphos St. John’s Blue Jays will square off against No. 3 seed Lincolnview Lancers — they’re ranked ninth in the state — also at Fort Site Fieldhouse.

Winners of the Oct. 22 games advance to the district semifinal final at 5 p.m. Oct. 27.

The bottom half of the bracket has the Wayne Trace Raiders (No. 8 seed) traveling to Convoy to take on the Crestview Knights (No. 5 seed) at 5 p.m. Oct. 20. The winner advances to the sectional final at 5 p.m. against No. 4 seeded and 10th-ranked St. Henry.

The Marion Local Flyers, seeded second and ranked fifth, hosts No. 11 seed Ottoville Big Green in the sectional semifinal at 5 p.m. Oct. 20. The Continental Pirates, seeded 10th, await the winner.

The highest-seeded team among Marion Local, St. Henry, Crestview, Wayne Trace, Continental and Ottoville will host the Oct. 22 sectional finals, slated for 5 and 7:30 p.m., respectively.

The district semifinal for the bottom half of the bracket is set for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27.

District semifinal games will be hosted by the team with the highest seed. The district championship, slated for 6 p.m. Oct. 29, will also be hosted by the highest-seeded team.