The Delaware Christian girls volleyball team has had quite the season, closing with a perfect 12-0 league record on the way to its third consecutive MOCAL championship.
The Eagles’ stellar regular season earned them a No. 1 seed in the Division IV district tournament — a distinction they lived up to with a convincing straight-set win over visiting Harvest Prep in Thursday’s tourney opener in Delaware.
DCS won the first set 25-18 before sealing the deal with wins of 25-15 and 25-10 in the second and third, respectively.
Brianna Blackburn and Lyssi Snouffer stuffed the stat sheet in the win. Blackburn collected 30 assists to go with 12 digs while Snouffer complemented her team-best 11 kills with 11 digs.
Other Delaware Christian standouts included Sarah Rosato, who chipped in nine kills, six digs, two aces and two blocks; Anna Fuller and Abbey Evans, who had six kills apiece to go with a combined 18 digs; and Mary Kerins, who had a team-leading 16 digs.
Next up, the Eagles will take on ninth-seeded Gahanna Christian in second-round action Saturday afternoon. The game is set to be played at 2:30 p.m. at DCS.
Also: Pickerington North 3, Big Walnut 2; Orange 3, Walnut Ridge 0; Liberty 3, Central Crossing 0.
BOYS SOCCER
Buckeye Valley started fast and never looked back, parlaying a 4-1 halftime edge into a 5-1 Division II sectional final win over visiting Heath Thursday in Delaware.
Bill Daily broke the scoring seal in the seventh minute before Brendan Miller, Brennan Perrine and Nathan Chwalik scored within 12 minutes of each other to make it a 4-0 spread just more than halfway through the first half.
Heath’s Sergio Zarate made it 4-1 with a goal just before halftime, but Perrine found the back of the net off a feed from Daily four minutes into the second half to balloon the lead back to four.
“Heath is a good team,” BV coach Eric Staley said. “There were a few stretches when they were taking the play to us. But, the guys in the back were as solid as usual for most of the match.”
BV (12-5-0) limited Heath to just two shots all game.
The Barons, who advance to the district semifinals for the third straight season, will likely take their show on the road from here on out.
“We made sure the seniors knew this was likely to be their last game on this field,” Staley said. “We needed to make sure they left as winners.”
FIELD HOCKEY
Olentangy Orange made sure its first home tournament game in school history was a memorable one, outlasting visiting CSG 2-1 in a shootout to keep its season alive Thursday in Lewis Center.
Kendall Baehr and Makenzie Cooper made the game-winning strokes in the shootout while Alyssa Menzo stepped up big time in the Pioneer goal. She finished with nine saves on the night.
After a scoreless first half, Orange’s Averie Ogden scored off a feed from Hannah Lower to account for the team’s lone regulation goal.
GIRLS SOCCER
Orange put it all together Thursday, coupling a relentless and balanced offensive attack with a dominant defensive performance en route to a 7-0 sectional final win over visiting Pickerington Central.
Mikaela Neil led the Pioneers with a hat trick while Grace Weidenhammer, Camilla Hall, Cassidy Ryan and Mackenzie Blendick also scored.
Liberty 13, Franklin Heights 0; Olentangy 10, Centennial 0; Hilliard Davidson 7, Hayes 0.
