LEBANON — Less experienced teams might have a bit of a letdown heading into the first match of the girls high school volleyball postseason. An undefeated league championship season behind them, a team might just go into cruise control and relax a bit afterward.
Not Bellbrook.
Playing what coach Lynzee Allen describes as the team’s “second season,” the top-seeded Golden Eagles bashed their way to a convincing 25-3, 25-5, 25-9 straight-set win over Dunbar, Oct. 17, in the opening round of the Division I sectional tournament at Lebanon High School.
“I think we did very very well. I don’t like to take a bye in the tournament, because I like for the girls to come down and get used to Lebanon’s gym. It helps us to get used to serving in a bigger gym where we have lots of room like this, and I thought they did very well,” Allen said. “We have nine seniors on this team, and they know not to let up for anybody. For them, this is their second season. They’re ready to go whenever they take the court.”
Bellbrook (21-2) came in as the No. 1 seed in the Division II sectional, and they showed why against the out-manned Wolverines of Dunbar. Allen freely rotated players in and out of her 12-player roster, and there was little sign of a drop in the team’s intensity.
The Golden Eagles reeled off the first 10 points of the opening set before Dunbar managed to score on a Bellbrook shot into the net. The score was 19-1 before the Wolverines managed their second point, this time on a Golden Eagles net serve. All three of Dunbar’s opening set points were due to Bellbrook shots into the net.
Bellbrook repeated a 10-0 run to start the second set as well. Dunbar did manage to score a point on its own when the Wolverines’ only senior, Monet Allen, drilled a shot from the right side for a score.
In the third set, with Bellbrook coach Allen continuing to substitute freely, Dunbar actually scored the opening point for a brief 1-0 lead. Allen said she appreciated how hard Dunbar played, despite their loss.
“They had a great effort. I actually have a lot of respect for them,” Allen said. “They came to one of our games last week, and coach (Essence) Jackson had to go through some extra measures to get them there. She had to bring them all herself, and had to pay for them all to get in, just to have them come and watch us play and scout us. She said it was a really good experience for their girls.
“Lots of respect for her and her girls for working hard and doing what they could to try and prepare their team the same way I would prepare mine.”
Allen said senior Julia Martin led the Golden Eagles with five kills, senior Bethany Ullring doled out a dozen assists, and senior Emily McNamara served up a team-best five aces.
Bellbrook advances to take on 12th-seeded Stivers in round two of the sectional tourney. That match is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 in the Lebanon High School gym.
