The Olentangy girls volleyball team, after finishing a perfect 10-0 in league play a season ago, picked up right where it left off Tuesday night in Lewis Center, opening OCC play with a convincing three-set win over visiting Olentangy Berlin.
The Braves started fast and never looked back.
A kill by Sophia Weithman gave Olentangy (6-2, 1-0) a 17-5 edge in the first set and, after an ace by Phoebe Durst got Berlin (3-4, 0-1) a point closer, a Kennady Wiley kill set up match point — a point the Braves earned via a Berlin hitting error to take the set 25-14.
The Bears hung around early in the second set, pulling within a point, 4-3, thanks to a kill from Mara Roth, but the Braves used a 13-4 run to take control. A Finley Sparks kill made it 17-7 and, after a combo block from Berlin’s Emmy Bush and Rosalyn Zielinski, Olentangy unleashed a 6-1 run to take the set 25-10.
Berlin took an early lead in the third, jumping on top 1-0 with an ace, but the Braves scored the next four and never trailed again.
Olentangy, already up 4-1 thanks to a well-place shot from Emma Bebo, scored eight of the next nine points after the Bears’ ace to all but seal the deal. The Braves led 9-2 after a kill by Wiley and 11-3 courtesy of an ace by Madison Franzel.
Berlin battled down the stretch — Natalie Pedigo picked up a block to close to gap — but Olentangy was too much in the end, winning the third set 25-11 to seal the deal.
Next up, Olentangy will host Bishop Watterson today at 6:45 p.m. in non-league action while Berlin will look to bounce back against visiting Hilliard Darby on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Olentangy Liberty 3, Dublin Coffman 1
The Patriots opened league play with a solid 25-16, 25-21, 19-25, 25-22 win over the visiting Shamrocks Tuesday night in Powell.
Claire Murkowski led the attack with 12 kills. Other standouts included Abbey Queen, who had 25 digs and four aces; and Gabi Moulton, who finished with a match-high 34 assists.
Also: Olentangy Orange 3, Hilliard Davidson 0.
BOYS GOLF
Olentangy Liberty, led by Carson Meyer’s runner-up finish, closed second at Tuesday’s New Albany Invitational at New Albany Country Club.
Meyer finished with a 71 — a mark second only to Newark Catholic’s Brian Luft, who shot a 70.
The Patriots, who also counted scores from Jackson Harris (76), Carter Rutherford (79) and Holden Orofino (81), closed with a team total of 307. Dublin Coffman won with a 305 while host New Albany smoothed out the top three with a 308.
GIRLS GOLF
Meadow Tian nabbed medalist honors with a 35 and Olivia Drankwalter was close behind with a 38 as Olentangy picked up a tri-match win over Hilliard Darby and Delaware Hayes on Tuesday at Oakhaven.
The Braves carded a 156 as a team. Darby nabbed runner-up honors with a 165 while Hayes finished third with a 202.
Olentangy Berlin 179, Marysville 189
Mia Raines shot a 35 to earn medalist honors as the Bears improved to 44-16 with a dual-match win against the host Monarchs Tuesday afternoon.
GIRLS SOCCER
Westerville North 1, Delaware Hayes 0; Olentangy Orange 2, Gahanna Lincoln 0.
BOYS SOCCER
Westerville South 4, Big Walnut 1; Olentangy 3, Pickerington North 0.
GIRLS TENNIS
Olentangy Berlin 5, Buckeye Valley 0; Big Walnut 3, Westerville Central 2.
