Willard surged back to regional semifinals

Ashley Bond felt something was off. Granted, the competition was elite. But she wanted to see more from her Willard volleyball team early in a season they were replacing two All-Ohio players from a regional finalist team in 2024. At the Norwalk Invitational on Aug. 30, the Crimson Flashes entered Labor Day weekend with a 5-0 record. But they took losses to Elyria Catholic (22-2) — the No. 1 ranked team in Division V — and to Div. II Fremont Ross (18-6). After the 1-2 record in Norwalk, Bond said her team lacked intensity and put the onus on her for not having them ready to face those caliber of teams. Fast forward to this week, and the Crimson Flashes have lost just one match since — a five-set defeat to SBC Bay Division rival Huron on Sept. 4. Willard (22-3) takes on Marion Pleasant (24-1) at 6 p.m. Wednesday in a Div. V regional semifinal at the Elida Fieldhouse. Huron (20-5) takes on Eastwood (18-7) in the second match, and the two winners will play at 11 a.m. Saturday for the championship and a trip to the state semifinals. "We learned a lot from the Norwalk Invite and seeing tough teams," Bond said. "The girls realized that they are in control of certain things on the court, and energy is the No. 1 thing. Regardless of the team you are playing, you always have the choice of the attitude you bring. "The day after our Huron loss, we didn't even practice and instead just did a team meeting and reflection," she added. "When you look at all the things you can learn from a loss, your morale isn't so low, and it inspires you to work in order to prove who you really are." Willard was 20-5 a year ago and also won the SBC Bay title and reached the regional finals, where it fell to Ottawa-Glandorf. Gone from that team included Kelsey Lykins, Caitlyn Weaver, Morgan Lofland, and Courtney Stuckey. Lykins earned All-Ohio second team, while Weaver was honorable mention. "They were amazing leaders, and the group this year learned from them," Bond said. "We returned four of our five hitters, so we had to work hard at filling the setter and libero positions. We tried out a few different things in the summer to see who would fit best, and I wasn't even sure what our lineup would look like entering the first match of the season, but the pieces have just kind of fallen into place." That has included using three setters, an uncommon move, between Camryn Wiers, Emelia Tallman, and Mya Stephens. "The work this group has put in, with both physical and mental training, has put them in a position to succeed," Bond said. During its 15-match win streak, Willard has been pushed to four sets just four times. That included a win at Huron in a rematch to assure a share of the league title. Willard's last five wins, including the tournament, have been 3-0 sweeps. "We actually didn't feel like we were playing well in our last four or five matches of the regular season," Bond said. "We are a totally different team when we have our minds focused on being good teammates and encouraging others. The coach said the best thing about her team is that they have many weapons. Along with three different setters, the Flashes have three hitters — Leah Weiss, Natalie Slone, and Wiers — with 217 to 237 kills. Four different players, including Alexis Rettig, Slone, Weiss, and Weirs, have from 243 to 267 digs. "Any night, a different girl might step up and be the star," Bond said. "It is hard for opponents to focus on stopping just one hitter, because the next girl could be just as dangerous. "When we are keyed in on setting a good block, it makes our defense so much better. We have five kids that are 5-foot-10 or taller, and that helps a lot." If Willard wants a chance to potentially play Huron for a third time and reach a second straight regional title match, it has to go through a tall order Wednesday. Pleasant went 25-4 last season, falling to Coldwater in the Div. V state championship match. Junior Kamryn Cocherl (6-foot) has 471 kills and is already committed to NCAA Div. I Georgia Southern University. "They are a solid team that returned a lot of talent from last year," Bond said. "Obviously Cocherl is their go-to hitter. We have to keep attacking them and do our best to get them out of system, because if we give them free balls, it won't turn out well. "They will mix up where she swings, and we will have to be ready to adjust our block accordingly."