JEFFERSON — Just one day after a 3–1 loss to Madison, Edgewood walked into Falcon Gymnasium and bounced back in a big way. The Warriors defeated host Jefferson, 25–18, 25–19, 18–25, 25–19, on Wednesday to clinch a share of the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division title.
Edgewood’s win came after what head coach Kyra Vencill described as a much-needed “reality check” against Madison.
“This is a hard house for us to play in. We knew we were going to have to play defense, and that would be the name of the game,” said Vencill. “Our defense was solid tonight. I have some of the smartest kids based on GPA, but sometimes smart isn’t always because you don’t focus on the small things, and they can lose track of the bigger picture. But, in the locker room, and on the bus, they prayed, and I think that helped them come back down to just focus on us being in a circle of the same heartbeat, same momentum. That’s what they did.”
Jefferson opened the first set with an early 6–3 lead behind Brooklyn Hicks’ strong play at the net. But Edgewood responded as Faith Vencill and Addy Lamson combined for eight kills and two service aces during a 15–8 run to take the opener, 25–18.
The Warriors carried that momentum into the second set, jumping ahead 7–3 and never looking back in a 25–19 win.
Jefferson fought back in the third set. After the teams traded points to a 13–13 tie, the Falcons went on a 12–5 run led by Lauren Hanek’s four kills, a block, and a service ace. Hicks added three more kills and a block as Jefferson claimed the set, 25–18.
With Jefferson threatening to push the match to a decisive fifth set, Edgewood regrouped and closed things out.
“The hardest thing about coaching girls’ sports is the ability to let things go and focus on the next point. It can either make-or-break them,” said Coach Vencill. “This team is very smart and very competitive, too. We had a couple of hiccups, but we went right back to playing volleyball. They came right back into it in set four and didn’t look back, and I’m proud of them.”
The fourth set remained tight with five ties, the last at 13–13. From there, Edgewood turned to its bread and butter—Faith Vencill’s attacking power. She closed the match with eight kills, a block, and two aces to secure the Warriors’ second straight Lake Division crown, this time shared with Jefferson.
The Warriors’ resilience in a must-win situation bodes well as the postseason approaches.
“This is what it’s all about, getting into that postseason play,” said Vencill. “Anything can happen, every game is a gamble, and this is about focusing on nothing but volleyball.”
Faith Vencill led the Warriors with 22 kills and four aces. Lamson added 16 kills and two blocks, while Lucianna Paolillo served four aces. Setter Summer Matthews finished with 36 assists.
Jefferson, which ends the regular season at 15–7 and as co-CVC champions, continues to trend upward. With only four seniors combined over the last two seasons, the young Falcons have plenty to look forward to.
“Just like us, Edgewood has a young core that’s returning as well. We anticipate a lot of battles,” said Jefferson head coach Don Palm. “We hope to get a packed house like this again and see high-level volleyball from both sides.”
The Falcons open postseason play on Oct. 18, and Palm said the team is ready to reset for the tournament.
“I’m extremely proud of all the things that this team has been able to accomplish, but as we turn towards the tournament, we realize that everyone’s record goes out the window,” Palm said. “It’s win-or-go-home, so we need to have a different mentality going in and realizing the finite nature of the playoffs.”
For Jefferson, Cheyenne McGirr filled the stat sheet with five kills and 12 digs. Hanek and Hicks combined for 26 kills and eight blocks, while Avery Miller added seven kills and a block. Kendra Pal chipped in four kills and three aces.
Jefferson hosts Hubbard, and Edgewood hosts Glenville, both on Oct. 16, in their respective first-round playoff games.
