The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Lorain making push for Lake Erie title
Lorain coach Chantille Jackson thought she might be facing a rebuilding year, but team chemistry has come together and the Titans are contending for a conference title. Plus, the Top of the Crop.
At the start of the season, Lorain was challenged with a first-year coach and many brand new faces to the varsity team, unsure about how 2017 would play out.
Most figured a rebuild- ing year was in the works, and after a sweep at Elyria on Aug. 24, coach Chantille Jackson was tasked with keeping spirits up and re- working her lineup to find the best fit.
It took a bit of trial and error, but Lorain (11-4, 7-0) has seemingly hit its stride, winning five straight games, including crucial Lake Erie League matches vs. Bedford and 2016 co- champion Maple Heights.
“We’ve been working really hard, really hard,” senior Seven Townsel said. “You would think we’d be working on skills, but we’ve been really working on being a team, being together, trusting each other ... because volleyball is so mental. Of course you have to have skill to play volleyball, but it’s all about if you know who’s next to you.”
Turns out, it wasn’t fundamentals work the Titans needed, just a little bit of self-confidence and trust.
In a weekend tri-match with Clearview and Sandusky, Lorain played with the attitude of a team that believes it can win, even coming from behind to steal the second set, 26-24, from Sandusky.
When asked if Jackson would agree this team is completely different from the team that lost to Elyria a month ago, she simply said: “I totally agree.”
“I feel like their chemistry has improved so much and they trust each other on the court and understand each other a little bit more,” Jackson added.
Townsel, a 5-foot-9 middle hitter, leads Lorain’s offense
with 133 kills and is among the area’s top 10 hitters, averaging 3.1 kills per set.
But the Titans’ defense has seen the most improvement — not surprising considering the team’s increasing chemistry.
With communication skills up and mental mistakes down, Lorain has developed into a well-rounded defensive team with three players averaging over 2.5 digs per set and five players averaging over 1.5 digs per set — not to mention Townsel’s 1.7 blocks per set, which tie her for No. 1 in the area with Westlake’s Sylvie Yappel, and Lorain junior Sydney Patterson with a 1.5 average, good for third overall.
As the second round of conference play gets underway this week, the Titans are looking forward to claiming an outright LEL championship after a late-season loss at Maple Heights last season forced Lorain to share the title with the Mustangs.
Lorain will close out the
regular season with a pair of road games: Oct. 10 at Bedford and Oct. 12 at Maple Heights.
“We just have to work hard and do what we do best — trust each other, be on it, stay confident,” Townsel said of staying undefeated in conference play. “I think we all got it. I think we got it. I think sometimes we knock off a little bit but it’s there. It’s there — we just have to find it while we’re playing.
“We know it’s going to be a little more difficult for us to win (against) Bedford and Maple on the road, but I have complete confidence in our girls,” Jackson added. “They are really confident right now. Our goal is obviously to be conference champs, to be undefeated (in the conference).”
Lorain travels to Brookside (8-6) Sept. 27 for a nonconference match.
Giving back
Avon Lake is hosting a fundraising event Sept. 28 during its match vs. Lakewood with all proceeds benefitting “Girls Give Back.”
“Girls Give Back” was created in 2012 by Erin Stack and Kristen Weeden. Their initial idea was to simply “help those in need through random acts of kindness,” but developed into “The Gift of Home,” which cleans and updates homes for local families in need, and “A Day of Giving” during which contractors and team members come together to spend $5,000 throughout the community through random acts of kindness.
The Shoregals will have a 50-50 raffle during the game with proceeds going directly to “Girls Give Back.”
Notable performances
• Avon defeated BereaMidpark, 3-1, Sept. 19. Sydney Stone had 13 kills and Gillian Romanchok had 11. Maddy Jerdonek added 31 assists for the Eagles and libero Erin Gardner had 16 digs.
• Avon Lake swept North Olmsted Sept. 21. Tate Rybarczyk had 16 digs, Madison Olinger had eight blocks and Natalie Appleton had 18 assists for the Shoregals.
• Rocky River went undefeated at the Elyria Power Quad on Sept. 23, beating Elyria, Massillon Washington and Chardon.
Olivia Young had 29 kills and 19 digs, Ava Rauser had 24 kills and nine blocks, Callie Cmiel had 73 assists and Raygan Murray had 34 digs.