ATTACKING THE NET … Evergreen’s Bailey Lumbrezer slams home a kill in the Vikings’ three-set win over Wauseon.
PHOTOS BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILAGE REPORTER
WAUSEON SENIOR … Brooklyn Miller plays the ball at the net while being challenged by two Evergreen blockers.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (September 30, 2025) – Beware anything that ticks….it’s liable to go boom! Evergreen had a mini scoring run in one set and exploded in nuclear fashion in two others to eliminate Wauseon 25-18, 25-20, and 25-10 before an electric crowd at Evergreen.
“We have been harping on energy, defense, and serve receive the last couple days, and that seemed to be a big key tonight, especially the energy with the environment here,” Viking coach Kelsey Wulf explained after the match.
Early on, Marin Leatherman’s pair of left side kills and an ace by Anaya Gonzales helped the Indians gain a 12-9 lead.
Tick..tick..tick. Three straight Indian hitting errors allowed the Vikings to forge a tie and then… KABOOM!
Bailey Lumbrezer, who had missed a big chunk of the season with injury, hammered a bomb from the left that ignited another 10 points during a 13-1 burst that carried Evergreen from a three-point deficit to a 22-13 lead.
“Knock on wood, don’t jinx me, but it does feel really good to be healthy again,” Wulf said. “Everybody’s at full strength, and hopefully we are hitting our strongest point heading into the tournament.”
Beth Sintobin’s bullet off a short set, Lyla Radel’s ace, then two more aces dealt by Lissa Roesti, then a block and right side cross by Avery Emmitt spurred the Vikings.
Lanae Manz’s left side shot ended the set and was a preview of what the second set would be like. Manz’s slap back between a pair of Lumbrezer kills, and Sintobin’s thunderous block, boosted the Vikings up 6-0. Manz and Sintobin combo blocked an Indian attempt to make it 8-2.
Wauseon got within four points at different times. Halle Gleckler’s shot made it 11-7, then after a Manz kill, Brooklyn Miller answered to get the Indians back to 12-8.
Three straight Viking attacks that went out brought Wauseon to as close as 15-13, but after a wide serve, Manz went off.
Two whacks from the left and another from the right sent the Vikes back up 21-15, a spread that allowed Evergreen to play back-and-forth points the rest of the set.
Wauseon grabbed a third set 5-3 lead, when the Vikings again misfired four times from attacks and another on a serve.
Tick..tick…tick….BOOM..BOOM..BOOM. Enter junior demolition expert Eloise Daugherty. Daugherty ripped serving aces like Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal striking out the Cleveland Guardians earlier in the day, nailing six aces during a 17-0 salvo that carried the Vikings to the three-set sweep.
“Oh my, Eloise’s serving tonight was on point,” Wulf exclaimed. “I mean, holy cow, 17 straight serves? She was just on fire and had a lot of movement on her ball, which made it hard to pass.”
“This also is one of the things we have been harping on in practice, when you get back there, get us three or four points, and tonight, well, she got 17.”
Manz blasted five more kills from the left side, and Radel busted two more during the eruption that took Evergreen from down 5-3 to in total control at 20-5.
The win, coupled with a three-set victory at Springfield the night before, makes the Vikings 11-8 heading into Sunday’s drawing for the Division V District tournament.
“I’m not sure that the girls understand the gravity of two wins going into the drawing, but certainly I do,” Wulf said. “This will mean a lot going into seeding, having those two extra wins to boost our record a little.”
Evergreen d. Wauseon, 25-18, 25-20, 25-10
Wauseon (6-13, 1-5 NWOAL): Marin Leatherman – 18/22 hitting, 7 kills; Anaya Gonzales – 12/15 serving, 5 aces; Bella McGuire – 22/23 serve receive, 15 digs; Rupp – 38/38 setting, 11 assists
Evergreen (11-8, 3-3 NWOAL): no statistics