Staff Report

CHESHIRE — For the seventh time in as many years since joining the Ohio Valley Conference, the River Valley volleyball team can call itself a league champion after clinching the 2008 crown Tuesday during a straight game 25-16, 25-18, 25-17 victory over Rock Hill on Senior Night.

The Lady Raiders (13-7, 9-0 OVC) improved to 67-2 all-time as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, dating back to the 2002 campaign. The Silver and Black also won their final regular season contest at the current gymnasium — which will be replaced next year with the addition of a new high school.

Mackenzie Cluxton led RVHS at the service line with 11 points, followed by Carissa Gilmore with 10 and Iliana Corfias with nine. Kayla Smith also had eight points in the triumph.

Corfias led the net attack with five kills, followed by Smith with four. Tara Workman and Linsey Stover were next with three points apiece, followed by Cluxton adn Jacqueline Jacobs with two each. Cluxton also had a team-high 12 assists.

Kassie Large led the Redwomen (4-12) with seven service points in the setback.

It was the final regular season home game for seniors Cluxton, Gilmore, Smith, Stover, Corfias and Workman.

RVHS claimed an evening sweep with a 25-11, 21-25, 25-14 victory in the junior varsity contest. Chynna Mershon led the JV Raiders with 16 points, followed by Tasha Alexander with 14 points.

River Valley will try to clinch its fifth unbeaten OVC championship on Thursday when it travels to Proctorville to battle Fairland. The JV match will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Eastern sweeps Fed Hock

TUPPERS PLAINS — Eastern volleyball kept its slim Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division championship hopes alive Tuesday night with a four-game 25-22, 20-25, 25-15, 25-22 victory over visiting Federal Hocking on Senior Night.

The Lady Eagles (17-4, 7-2 TVC Hocking) moved into second place by themselves in the league standings after Trimble (6-3) fell to Waterford (8-1) in five games Tuesday night.

Waterford has clinched a share of the 2008 title and can win it outright on Thursday when it hosts Miller in the TVC Hocking finale. EHS needs a Miller win, combined with a win over Trimble on Thursday, to keep its 11-year TVC Hocking title winning streak intact.

As for Tuesday night, the Green and White finished the evening with collective totals of 48 kills, 46 assists and six blocks to go along with 89-of-93 serving for 96 percent.

Brittany Casto led the service attack with 19 points and five aces, followed by Beverly Maxson with 10 points and four aces. Katie Wilfong and Morgan Burt added seven points and two aces apiece, followed by Tresa Swatzel and Karissa Connolly with five points each.

Swatzel led the net attack with 17 kills, followed by Burt with nine kills and Casto with seven kills. Wilfong and Britney Morrison both had six kills in the triumph, with Connolly adding two kills and a team-high 40 assists.

It was the final regular season home game for seniors Swatzel, Burt, Casto and Wilfong. The Eastern junior varsity team also won in three games.

Eastern returns to action on Thursday when it travels to Glouster for the TVC Hocking finale with Trimble. The JV game will start at 6 p.m.

Southern avenges Miller

RACINE — In four games the Southern Lady Tornadoes defeated Miller to put the finishing touches on senior night Tuesday in Southern’s Hayman Gymnasium, 25-14, 12-25, 25-17, and 25-22.

Honored during Senior Night festivities were Southern’s four seniors: Emma Hunter, Chelsea Pape, Rashell Boso, and Samantha Patterson. Southern’s ability to pull off the win made the night a very special night.

Southern boosted its record to 8-13 overall and 2-7 in the league.

Rashell Boso took off in a big way by putting 22 points on the board for the Lady Tornadoes. Emma Hunter tallied 18 markers, while Chelsea Pape added 13. Miller’s Ashley Hand had 21 for Miller.

In the first game, Southern nearly doubled Miller’s score in the 25-14 win. Hunter put seven markers on the board to lead the Tornadoes, while Katie Woods, Kelsey Holsinger, Breanna Taylor, Ashley Walker, Courtney Thomas, Boso, and Stephanie Shamblin added strong support efforts.

Hand had the upper hand in the next game in leading Miller to the 25-12 win. Southern went into a tailspin, but responded in a big way for game three.

Boso notched eleven points in the third game, while Hunter, Walker and Thomas added great floor games and solid front line play. Boso added eight points to break the game open from 13-11 to 21-11 in Southern’s favor. Southern went on to win 25-17.

The last game was a dog fight and both entities wanted the winning bone. Southern prevailed to claim the 25-22 win and the match.

Hunter went 17-18 overall in serving with two aces and a block. Pape was 13-13, Boso was 18-22 with six aces and two blocks, going 14-16 spiking. Bre Taylor was 9-9 serving with an ace and 5-6 spiking with three blocks. Walker was 10-11 serving with an ace, and Thomas was 10-13 with an ace.

Shamblin was 19-21 spiking and Woods 2-5, while Kelsey Holsinger was 16-17 spiking. Hunter had eight assists and Thomas had five. Southern was 77-86 serving, 226-241 passing, and 57-66 spiking. Southern had eleven aces, 14 assists, and seven blocks.

Miller won the very close reserve game 25-19 and 26-24. Emily Humphrey had 17 for the winners and Kelsey Hinkle had eleven. Hope Teaford had ten for Southern, while Bobbi Harris had ten.

Southern goes to Federal Hocking Thursday.

Meigs falls to Spartans

ROCKSPRINGS — So much for a grand finale.

Alexander spoiled Senior Night for host Meigs — and captured the 2008 Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division championship in the process — during a straight game 25-12, 25-11, 25-12 road decision at Larry R. Morrison Gymnasium.

The Lady Marauders (15-5, 8-3 TVC Ohio) dropped their second straight overall contest and were also swept in the season series with the Lady Spartans (19-1, 11-0) — who won their fifth consecutive TVC Ohio title. AHS also won the first matchup in Albany by a 25-16, 25-15, 25-12 count.

It was also the regular season home finale for four-year MHS starter Catie Wolfe, the lone senior for the Maroon and Gold. Meigs had team tallies of nine kills, seven assists and two blocks to go along with 35-of-36 serving for 97 percent.

Wolfe and Tricia Smith led the service attack with four points apiece, followed by Morgan Howard with three and Emalee Glass with two. Shellie Bailey and Chandra Stanley also added one point each in the setback.

Stanley led the net attack with four kills and Wolfe followed with three. Smith and Howard also had one kill each. Glass and Smith both had three assists, and the duo of Wolfe and Stanley each added one block.

Meigs will conclude its 2008 TVC Ohio season on Thursday when it travels to Belpre for a 6 p.m. JV contest.