Monday, March 20, 2023

Vikings eye first state title since 2005

Villa Angela-St. Joseph is back in the state final four. The Vikings, defending 2013 Division IV state runner-ups, are seeking their first state championship since 2005.

VASJ will play Fort Loramie at 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 6 at Wright State University in a D-IV state semifinal.

The Vikings are in their first back-to-back final fours since the 2005-06 seasons, winning it all in 2005. While they have lost some key players from last year's state runner-up team, McKenna Walker, Toni Beuck, Rachel Smith, Nicole Cramer and a host of others have been big in the return to Fairborn.

VASJ knocked off Tuscarawas CC in the Solon regional final, 3-1.

This is the Redskins' first trip to the state semifinals. Fort Laramie coach John Rodgers has a team led by a pair of 6-footers in Kelly Turner and Ashley Pleiman, averaging 4.3 and 3.1 kills per set respectively.

The winner advances to the state final, 11 a.m., Nov. 8, vs. the winner of McComb (27-0) and Newark Catholic (25-1).
 

Steve Harehttp://www.ohiovarsity.com
Steve Hare is the Chagrin Valley Conference's Sports Information Director. He also created and publishes OhioVarsity.com, an online publication dedicated to providing hyperlocal coverage to area high school athletic programs. Hare began covering high school sports for the Lake County News Herald in 1997. Hare attended Willoughby South High School through the middle of his senior year, then graduated from Berkshire High School in Burton in 1986. He played football, wrestled and was an all-Geauga county baseball player (1986). He lives in Chardon with his wife Paulette and their children.

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