Perrysburg advances past Northview in four sets

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NORWALK — Perrysburg trailed in all four sets but won three to defeat No. 12 Sylvania Northview in a Division I regional semifinal Thursday.

Perrysburg’s 26-24, 25-22, 19-25, 25-19 victory puts the Jackets one game closer to reaching the state final four for the fourth time in program history.

Perrysburg (20-6), ranked 14th in the final state coaches’ poll, faces Medina Highland (23-3) in a regional final at 2 p.m. Saturday at Norwalk High School.

VIDEO: Perrysburg advances past Northview in four sets

“Obviously, we are going to go play a team that we don’t know a whole lot about right now. I think these guys have worked super hard this year,” Perrysburg coach Laura Davidson said. “We weren’t undefeated like we were last year, but these guys have a lot of grit, and they know they have the talent to go as far as they can go. So, we’re looking to keep winning.”

Highland defeated Amherst Steele (21-5) 25-19, 25-18, 25-25, 25-20 in the opening semifinal Thursday. Steele was ranked 16th in the final state coaches’ poll, Highland was unranked.

Perrysburg’s last trip to the state tournament was in 2006, but in 1981 the Yellow Jackets finished as state runner-up and the 1979 team won a state championship.

To get past Northview, the Jackets had to come back from being down 22-19 in the first set, down 20-19 in the second set, and in the fourth set Northview opened a quick 5-1 lead.

Those were all sets Perrysburg won, but it came down to winning contested points at the end of each set.

“We had to focus at the end because I think it could have gone either way for the first and second set,” Davidson said. “The third set kind of got away from us, and we knew we had to come back. We didn’t want to go to a fifth set.”

Perrysburg senior middle blocker Danielle Cleavenger says it was about maintaining attitude.

“We had to stay humble but eventually we pushed through,” Cleavenger said. “Our bench was insane, everyone on the court was insane, all just giving each other hype and getting through it and smiling about it, and never getting down.

“After the second set we knew that it wasn’t going to end so we had to keep pushing through,” Cleavenger continued.

In addition, it was the rubber match between the Yellow Jackets and Wildcats, which shared the Northern Lakes League crown at 12-2. Davidson said her players needed to keep focused on themselves.

“I think it was two good teams, and we’re happy that two NLL teams are here in regionals,” Davidson said. “We just had to bring our game. We just had to focus more on us than them.

“I think we started slow because we were just a little more focused on them, but once we got into our game, I think it went our way.”

The Yellow Jackets had to figure out how to defend against driving kills by Northview 6-foot-1 senior outside hitter Kamryn Hunt, who had a game-high 21 kills, including 10 in the third set.

PHOTOS: Perrysburg vs Northview, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022

The Jackets did it by successfully employing the block, or Hunt would have had even more kills.

Cleavenger had 10 blocks, often teaming up with senior setter Giana Frayer, who had nine.

Junior middle blocker Wrigley Takats had five, senior outside hitter Josie Hubbard had three, and senior outside hitter Sara Pahl had two blocks.

“We’ve been working hard on that in practice,” Cleavenger said. “We’ve been struggling in the past with that, just pushing each other.”

Sara Pahl and freshman Katie Pahl had three aces apiece and Frayer and defensive standout Avery Adamski, a senior libero, had two aces each.

Hubbard led the team with 13 kills, Sara Pahl had 12, Takats had 10, Katie Pahl had seven and Cleavenger had four.

Hubbard, who stands 5-foot-6, holds her own in a territory usually ruled by players closer to 6-foot or taller.

“I wasn’t a starter last year, so I think I kind of proved myself,” Hubbard said. “It feels good to know that as a 5-6 hitter, I’m able to compete.

“I was just born with it, but it’s just that drive to compete. I don’t like to lose. I never liked to lose. I’m very stubborn and I think that in my mind I’m not 5-6, but I’m 6-4. I’m just trying to hit the ball.”

Hubbard rarely misses, too, and she credits her accuracy to communication with her teammates.

“My teammates are here to help me find the spots,” Hubbard said. “Practice gets a little rough, but it’s just playing the game. It comes with years and years of experience.”

Hubbard says the Yellow Jacketgs will have to bring their A-game when facing Highland Saturday.

“We just have to focus on coming out strong. We kind of started off slow — that’s a tendency of our team,” Hubbard said.

“As long as we start out strong, we keep pushing and we start to rely on one another, we’re fine,” Hubbard added.

Northview, ranked 12th in the final state poll, saw its season end at 20-6.

The Wildcats got eight kills from senior outside hitter Sydney Hires, four blocks from freshman middle blocker Lucy Sauer, and six aces from junior libero Jordyn Patkulski.

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