Patriots fall in sectional final

NEW CASTLE — The Patriots were three sets away from ending a drought that’s older than all of their players.

Instead, the Jay County High School volleyball team suffered a 25-20, 25-14, 25-23 defeat to the Class 3A No. 9 Hamilton Heights Huskies in the championship match of the IHSAA Class 3A Sectional 24 tournament on Saturday. 

The loss extended the Patriots’ stretch without a sectional title that dates back to 2002.

“It’s hard, because I wholeheartedly believed 100% that we could win this,” said Jay County coach Amy Dillon. “So it’s hard to see them not get that, because I know how bad they wanted it.”

Hamilton Heights will advance to play Norwell in the regional championship on Saturday, Oct. 25.

The Patriots (21-11) backed up their coach’s words by keeping things close in the first and third sets. Jay County scored eight of the first 12 points of the match en route to establishing a 16-12 opening-set edge before the Huskies (22-8) roared back.

Even after dropping set two, the Patriots regrouped and showed their resolve in what proved to be the final set of their season.

“When we came off the court, that second set, and it had kind of fallen apart, emotions started to show, and there were some tears in the huddle,” Dillon said. “I’m like, ‘Volleyball’s a game of five sets. We’re not done.’”

Jay County fought valiantly, staying within striking distance before knotting the score at 23. The Huskies then mustered the final two scores of the game, including a well-placed kill by senior Macie Smith.

Smith was a thorn in the Patriots’ side all evening, using her combination of power and precision to rack up a game-high 18 kills, thwarting the Patriots’ signature net presence.

“She’s powerful. She’s smart,” Dillon said. “When our block was there, she found a hole … she’s D1 material for sure. We tried to match our lineup up so that we had our best blockers against her three times in a row and it just wasn’t enough.”

Smith’s contributions were frequent as well as timely, as she sealed each of the match’s three sets with a kill.

“We don’t see too many girls that can swing like that,” said Jay County middle blocker Mya Kunkler.

But while Smith’s massive performance extended her season and high school career, Saturday’s loss marked the end of the line for Jay County’s senior crew.

The group of Elizabeth Barnett, Kayla Jetmore, Paisley Fugiett, Lani Muhlenkamp, Maria Hemmelgarn and Kunkler all played vital roles for the Patriots on and off the court.

“You have every personality there,” said Jay County junior Hallie Schwieterman, who paced the Patriots with 10 kills. “You have leaders, you have girls who pick girls up, you have just exciting people. You have everything that you need on a team, and all the seniors have it, and every piece fits together perfectly.”

Many of those seniors posted solid numbers in their final match, including Barnett (seven kills, one solo block), Hemmelgarn (four kills, three solo blocks) and Kunkler (five kills).

Though the Class of 2026 came up short in its pursuit of a sectional crown, the chemistry it established could help nurture the program for years to come.

“They have done everything that I have wanted,” Dillon said. “They have helped create quite the culture … They’re everything we want Jay County volleyball to be.”

Now, the Patriots will shift their focus to continuing to build on the foundation they fashioned this year. Jay County’s 21 wins were its highest total since 2015, and the team will return two players who amassed over 100 kills this season — Brenna Schmiesing and the Patriots’ leading attacker Schwieterman.

“I 100% believe that we can win sectionals next year,” Schwieterman said. “And I think this just gives us fire that we will try our best to win, obviously, and I think we have all the tools, and I think we have all the excitement, and we have all the revenge that we want to get and we just want to win.”