WHS volleyball completes its perfect regular season
Grace Jones, left, was a second-team All-Ohio Cardinal Conference player for the Wooster High volleyball squad that recently completed a 22-0 regular season.
Through the course of a season, a letdown is bound to happen.
Not Wooster’s volleyball team, not this season.
With their three-game sweep of Massillon Perry on Oct. 15, the Generals closed out the regular season with an undefeated 22-0 record — a first in the 22-year career of coach Jen Snowbarger.
“I am proud of how these girls have kept working hard this entire season,” she said. “Sometimes with wins, you see athletes easing up because the winning is happening. This group continues to come in and work hard to keep progressing forward.”
Wooster enters its postseason opener against Magnificat not only on a win streak, but also with a run of dominance over the past two-plus months.
Not only have the Generals posted victories over the likes of Massillon Jackson and Amherst Steele, but also they have lost just four sets all season.
Sophomore outside hitter Sara Snowbarger recently earned Ohio Cardinal Conference Player of the Year and averages 5.3 kills per set.
But the underclassman is far from alone.
Fellow outside hitters and the middle blocking strength of Josie Wright and Grace Jones have made the Generals one of the toughest groups to not only defend at the net, but also hit around.
Combine that with defensive play from Snowbarger (4.5 digs per set), Lantis (3.6) and Jones (2.4), along with dominance at the service line from Lantis, Snowbarger and Emily Boyd — who have combined for 143 aces — and it’s been one fun season for the Generals.
“Truly I believe that we are very well balanced in all our skills this season,” coach Snowbarger said. “We have a great attack from our offense and defense as well. This season we have done a great job in serve receive, which has put us in-system a lot and made our offense look even better.”
Wooster will now look to hit the reset button and prepare for the second season as the OHSAA Sectional/District Tournament began Oct. 17.
And while teams like the Generals usually get one or two matches to warm up to postseason play, they will be tested right off the bat with Magnificat — a program loaded with state experience and a lot of talent.
“Being at state the past several years puts their players in a very confident position when they play us,” coach Snowbarger said of the Blue Streaks. “We only have three returning letterwinners from last year’s team, which puts a lot of youth into an early tournament game versus Magnificat.
“We don’t know how everyone will handle the pressure but hope they can trust their success this season and training and build from that for tournament time.”
Snowbarger believes it’s that ability to handle those roller-coaster moments of a playoff match that will be key for her team in their hopes of advancing and making a deep run.
It’s a toughness that will be necessary as the fifth-seeded Wooster will need to contend with sixth-ranked Magnificat and, with a win, potential matches with the likes of No. 7 Olmsted Falls and No. 2 Avon Lake in a district that will decide its champion next week at Grafton Midview.
“I am looking forward to the competitive matches of tournament time,” Snowbarger said. “It’s always fun to see who handles what and the adversity it brings. No matter what happens, this team has had a great year, and I’m hoping we all get a few more weeks together.”