Triad’s Brianna Eaton (14) goes up for a block attempt against Fairbanks’ Kelsey Thorbahn on Thursday. The Lady Panthers won the match in three sets.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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With an Ohio Heritage Conference volleyball championship already in their back pockets, there really wasn’t anything left for the Lady Panthers of Fairbanks to prove Thursday evening.
That, however, didn’t prevent FHS from taking care of business on Senior Night and during its final OHC match of the season.
The Lady Panthers wrapped up the conference portion of their schedule with a 16-0 mark by sweeping neighboring Triad 25-14, 25-9, 25-6.
“We’re playing really well right now,” said coach Ed Marsman, whose team upped its overall record to 21-1. “We’re so well-balanced. Our starters are playing well and our younger girls came in and played aggressively. They didn’t back off.”
Although the Lady Cardinals saw their record slip to 2-20, they did put up a fight, especially during the first set.
“My girls are scrappy,” said coach Dayna Ober. “They played hard, but I think we got a little tired at the end.”
Fairbanks doubled the score at 12-6 during the opening set when Kelsey Thorbahn came through with a kill and block.
Several FHS hitting errors, however, allowed Triad to narrow the gap to 13-10.
Kasey Carstensen got Fairbanks back on the right track with a kill.
That spurred FHS on a 7-1 run that included a blast over the net by Kaidie Carstensen.
Triad did not have the serve for long after FHS surrendered it on a misplaced set.
Mack Greene later came up with a kill that pushed the Lady Panthers out to a 22-13 margin.
FHS added two more points on Cardinal hitting miscues.
Brianna Eaton came through with a kill that pulled Triad to within 24-14.
That was as close as the rest of the match would get.
Triad put another hitting mistake in the books for Fairbanks’ final point.
The Lady Panthers once again held a 12-6 advantage during the ensuing set on a tip from Greene.
A kill by Greene was sandwiched between two from Kasey Carstensen as Fairbanks’ lead grew to 15-6.
Eaton scored a kill through Kaidie Carstensen’s block attempt.
That, however, marked only Triad’s eighth point of the game.
Piper Huston took the serving line for Fairbanks and stayed for quite a spell.
She remained parked there as FHS’ lead grew to 24-8, thanks in part to a kill by Taylor Sphapmixay.
A net serve returned possession to the Lady Cardinals.
A Triad block, though, put Fairbanks’ final point of the set on the board.
The Lady Panthers notched their first point of the final game on an errant Cardinal block.
Kasey Carsenten followed Huston’s lead and took up residence on the serving line.
The Lady Panthers tallied 14 points on her watch… a streak that didn’t end until FHS hit the ball into the net.
Cassy Lamb set up a kill by Kaidie Carstensen that returned the serve to Fairbanks.
Triad didn’t score its second point until FHS made a hitting mistake.
By that time, the Lady Panthers led 17-2 and all that remained to be decided was the final score.
Marsman shuffled players onto the court as he gave most of his starters a break.
Sam Picklesimer’s kill pushed Fairbanks out to a 19-5 lead.
Thornbahn scored a point on a tip.
Triad hitting and passing miscues put the Lady Panthers at set point, 24-6.
Kasey Carstensen then set up Thorbahn’s final kill to end the match.
The Lady Panthers will return to action on Tuesday when they host Columbus Bishop Ready in the first round of the Division III tournament. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
FHS will take the No. 1 seed into the match, while the Silver Knights are No. 12.
“It gets tougher from here on out,” said Marsman. “Ready is a good team that is well-coached.
“However, I think we’re in good shape.”
The Lady Cardinals will enter Division IV tournament action in the Southwest District on Tuesday.
They will take their No. 28 seed to Troy High School, where they will face top-seeded Jackson Center.
“I know we will play hard,” said Ober. “We’ll just have to see how it goes.”
FHS stats for the match were as follows:
-Thorbahn: 26/28 passing, 22/24 attacks, nine kills;
-Kas. Carstensen: 28/29 serving, 25 points, seven aces, 9/9 attacks, six kills;
-Kai. Carstensen: 13/14 sets, seven assists, 16/17 attacks, 10 kills, six blocks;
-Grace Tomblin: 8/8 serving, seven points, 13/17 passing;
-Picklesimer: 14/15 attacks, seven kills;
-Huston: 12/13 serving, 11 points, 8/8 passing;
-Greene: 10/11 passing, 14/15 attacks, eight kills;
-Lamb: 6/6 serving, three points, 47/47 sets, 22 assists;
-Sphapmixay: 5/5 serving, four points, 6/6 sets, two assists, three kills;
-Lizzie Nicol: 8/8 passing;
-Jayda Rausch: 4/4 passing, 4/5 attacks, two kills.