After a lackluster season in the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier last season when they finished fourth in the conference, the Garfield G-Men girls’ volleyball team proved that it is still a force to be reckoned with. But the G-Men will once again have to settle for a runner-up finish at best after being swept 25-11, 25-5, 25-16 by conference rival Crestview last Thursday evening at the JAG Fieldhouse.
“I would say that they were definitely going at us 100% and utilized their offense through Abbey Emch a lot, who was their strongest hitter, so they definitely were not letting up and did prove they were the top of the MVAC again,” noted Coach Ali Roach.
In the first two years since the G-Men (13-6, 10-2) joined the MVAC Grey Tier, they were at the top of the standings, finishing in second place each season, having always played second fiddle to Crestview, who had dominated the conference even before Garfield joined.
For the third time in four years, the G-Men will end their season fighting to hold on to second place after the loss against Crestview marked yet another outright ownership of the MVAC Grey Tier banner by the Rebels.
“They have everyone else’s number in the league too,” acknowledged the sixth-year coach. “I do not know if they have even dropped a set in the four or five years against anyone in the MVAC Grey Tier.”
On Thursday night, Garfield quickly fell behind by losing the first set 25-11.
According to Roach, the Rebels were fueled by an aggressive service game and put pressure on Garfield’s back row.
Crestview continued dominating in the second set, overwhelming the G-Men by a 25-5 margin to take a 2-0 advantage in the match.
Roach said that the Rebels’ sparked their offense through their best offensive player, Abbey Emch, and Garfield had no answers.
“She is the girl that we planned for the day of practice and think about what she will do and what we can do in return,” Roach said. “She also plays all of the way around and she is a good server as well.”
After two lackluster sets, the G-Men finally built some momentum with a competitive third set but it was not enough as Crestview claimed a 25-16 victory to once again repeat as MVAC Grey Tier champions.
Although Garfield was swept by the Rebels for the second time this season, Roach said that the match still demonstrated the G-Men’s scrappy mentality.
“I think that the third set shows the kind of team that we are and we will fight regardless of us being down and to me that is a great team to have,” she added.
One highlight of the match was that senior outside hitter Kyla Grace posted three kills and eight digs, which propelled her to reaching 1,000 career digs in her varsity career.
“I always love her energy on the court and a lot of people mention that she is fun to watch. If there is a ball around, she is going to give 100% and go for that ball and I am just proud of her and happy that she reached that milestone,” Roach said.
After playing libero for the past two seasons, Grace was moved to outside hitter and the back row this season so her opportunities for digs dramatically decreased but she still found a way to get to the ball this season, earning herself a spot in the school record books.
After last season’s fourth place finish, their worst finish in the MVAC Grey Tier since joining the conference, the G-Men used the sting of last season to motivate them to another strong season in conference play, which began with a 7-0 start this year.
Having played so many younger players last year, including now senior Hannah Kernig, Grace, and sophomore Lillian Shay, Garfield was a more experienced squad this season, enabling them to climb back to the top of the conference.
After a fast start, Garfield has hit a wall, posting a 7-6 record over its last 13 matches but Roach said that the team has been challenged by some bigger programs.
While the G-Men can no longer compete for the conference championship, Roach said that they still have plenty to play for with two more league matches left on the schedule.
Following a home match against MVAC Grey Tier foe Brookfield on Tuesday night and a road match against Liberty on Thursday evening, Garfield will end its season by playing against Portage County rival Crestwood on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in Mantua.
