Clippers down JFK to head to district title
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CORTLAND -- When the Columbiana volleyball team reached the Clippers fans, Lakeview High School's gym was filled with cheers.
The Clippers topped Warren JFK 3-1 on Tuesday in a Division V district semifinal. And the fans and players knew what that meant.
Not only did the Clippers continue their season, but they also punched their ticket to the district championship for the first time since 2020.
"They've come in focused on our opponents the last two practices," Columbiana head coach Jenn Martin said. "Just being able to finish and meet the goals that they set for themselves."
The Clippers led 1-0 after the first set. But the Eagles looked to be in control early in the second.
Kennedy jumped out to a 12-3 lead. However, the Clippers cut the deficit to 12-7, forcing an Eagles timeout.
The break did the Eagles some good. They held off Columbiana and tied the match at 1 with a 25-16 win in the second set.
Each team led once as the score was tied at 10 in the third. And it remained tied at 21, but a kill by Ava Marks gave the Clippers a 2-1 match lead with a 25-22 victory in the frame.
"They have great blockers (at JFK). They hustled and kept a lot of balls up," Martin said. "… It was real tight - I think it went 22-22. So us just being able to keep that focus, play our game and finish just gave us momentum going into the fourth set."
And the Clippers did, in fact, carry some energy into the fourth.
Columbiana began the fourth with an 8-3 lead. The lead grew to 18-9, and five straight points had the Clippers ahead 24-11.
A kill by Marks gave the Clippers the set 25-12 and clinched their trip to the district finals.
"Our girls did a great job passing in that last set because we were able to run our offense," Martin said. "We have a lot of offensive weapons. I always say there's no breathing room. I don't care if it's 24-0, we're still gonna play. I'm real proud of the way they stepped up in that fourth set."
The trip to the district championship on Thursday will mark another step forward for the Columbiana program.
The Clippers won their league a few years back. It was the first time they took a conference crown since the 1980s.
They will have a challenge waiting for them, however. They will face Lakeview in the district final at Canfield High School, and the Bulldogs have had some recent success by taking the last couple district titles.
"Landry Smith is one of our captains. She's been a starter since she was a freshman," Martin said. "Her first year, we won the league for the first time since the '80s, and this year we went to the OVAC tournament for the first time ever. So I'm real excited that she gets to make that district finals team.
"That's something that we've been trying to push and something we haven't done in six years.